Columbia's Mayor Hindman receives Healthy Communities award

COLUMBIA – Mayor Darwin Hindman has taken pride in promoting a healthy community, and now he is being rewarded for it, according to a city of Columbia news release.

“I am extremely proud of this award," Hindman said in the release. "It brings national recognition to Columbia as a healthy place to live."

Hindman, along with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom; and Chattanooga, Tenn., Mayor Claude Ramsey, received a Leadership for Healthy Communities Award at the Leadership for Healthy Communities Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit on Thursday in Washington, D.C., according to the release.

“Childhood obesity is a serious health issue of epidemic proportions in this country with enormous personal and economic costs,” Hindman said. “It is leading to serious chronic diseases including diabetes and heart conditions, but it can be prevented with more activity and better nutrition habits for the kids.”

Columbia has received a number of grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, including a $400,000 grant last December to Columbia's Health Environment Policy Initiative. This grant is to make routine physical activity and health foods available to children. The foundation’s goal is “to help Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need,” according to its Web site.