Recent studies have found that 40-50% of Chicago children in some of the city’s neighborhoods are obese, which is three times the national average. When Junior League of Chicago learned these staggering statistics, our membership of 1,500 women agreed to make a commitment to do our part to ensure a better, healthier Chicago one child, one family and one neighborhood at a time.

In June 2008, we launched two new community projects -- Girls Get Gourmet and Health Train -- to educate children and their caregivers on the importance of healthy eating and daily physical activity. Next month we will host our 4th Annual Kids in the Kitchen program, designed to empower youth to make better food choices for their long-term health and well-being, and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues. To learn more, click here.