Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will host a free webinar on successful strategies to address both public safety and childhood obesity at 1 p.m. CST on April 26, 2012.

Making the Connection: Linking Policies to Improve Public Safety with Preventing Childhood Obesity

A growing body of research demonstrates that when families feel safe in their communities, they are more likely to engage in physical activity that improves their overall health. By implementing policies that address both the adequacy of a neighborhood’s built environment and implications and perceptions of neighborhood crime, policymakers can address significant safety concerns, promote active, livable communities and reduce childhood obesity.

The webinar will feature:

  • Councilmember Ed Gonzalez, City of Houston, Texas
  • Deb Hubsmith, Director, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
  • Matthew Rufo, Program Manager, Prevention Research Center, Tulane University

The webinar coincides with the release of Making the Connection: Linking Policies to Improve Public Safety with Preventing Childhood Obesity, a report to provide policymakers seeking to address public safety in their communities with policy options that can also contribute significantly to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic.

Register here for the webinar.