By Khalida Sarwari
Even with two gold medals already under its belt, it appears Saratoga hasn’t let up in its efforts to continue offering exercise and healthy eating options, nabbing its third gold medal as part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, which promotes healthy eating and fitness habits for children.
Saratoga was awarded the medal in the “model food service” category for having at least 30 percent of its city-owned or -operated venues that offer or sell food and beverages implement a policy for healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Updated by the federal government every five years, the dietary guidelines are influential in shaping the contents of school meals and military rations.
“Healthy living and eating are choices we make every day,” Mayor Manny Cappello said. “In Saratoga, we take childhood obesity seriously and offer programs that take advantage of our mild climate, beautiful public resources and collaborative spirit to create healthier options for our children.”
One person who was instrumental in Saratoga’s success was Kayla Nakamoto, who worked as an intern in the city’s recreation department over the summer. Nakamoto collaborated with staff at the Saratoga Library and the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries board of directors to implement healthier vending machine options at the library’s cafe.
These and other efforts have pushed the city to a seventh-place ranking nationally, tied with Agawam, Mass; Alexandria, Va; Binghamton, N.Y; Fargo, N.D; New Haven, Conn; Union City, Ga; and Yazoo City, Miss.
The last time the city was recognized by the Let’s Move! campaign was in late 2013 for posting nutrition information and organizing community-based activities promoting health and wellness. The city’s past efforts have also included offering weekly lunchtime activities at Saratoga Elementary School.
This year, the city accomplished its long-term goal of opening Saratoga Quarry Park and further expanding its network of walking and cycling trails for the public to stay active and engaged in addition to the existing trails at the Heritage Orchard, Mount Eden Road, Parker Ranch and Kevin Moran and Azule parks.
Saratoga joined the Let’s Move! initiative shortly after the First Lady launched the campaign about five years ago in order to encourage local elected officials to adopt long-term, sustainable strategies to address childhood obesity and offer opportunities for healthy activities in their communities. The campaign’s goal is to someday solve the childhood obesity epidemic.
For more information about Saratoga’s Let’s Move! campaign, visit bit.ly/healthysaratoga.
