Cigna Corp. CEO David Cordani said Tuesday that he has joined forces with a new national campaign aimed at getting school children to be physically active.
Cordani said he and 12 other health plans have joined ChildObesity180, which will kick off a competition among the nation’s schools to identify the best programs that inspire children to be physically active.
The Active Schools Acceleration Project Innovation Competition will award $500,000 in prizes to schools with the most innovative, impactful, and cost-effective physical activity programs, and to technology developers who create new ways of using technology to promote increased physical activity among today’s youth.
“The very best way to ensure a healthy life is to begin exercising and eating right as a child,” said Cordani, who is a charter member of ChildObesity180. “Schools play a critical role in encouraging children to be active and in supporting healthy lifestyles from a young age.”
One out of every four children in America is either obese or overweight, an increase of 100 percent over the past 30 years.
First Lady Michelle Obama helped kick off the competition with a video message encouraging schools to participate.
