Binghamton University will join the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector and PHA honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama to make healthier choices easier, in a three-year commitment to make its campus healthier by adopting guidelines around food and nutrition, physical activity and programming. Binghamton is one of the first schools to sign on to PHA’s Healthier Campus Initiative, which includes 19 other colleges and universities, collectively impacting more than 500,000 students and 126,000 faculty and staff.

This initiative will impact more than 16,500 students and approximately 5,000 faculty and staff on campus. "Binghamton University enrolls academically talented students who are poised to be the leaders of tomorrow," said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. "But to be successful, our students must be physically healthy. We’ve joined with the Partnership for a Healthier America to strengthen our commitment to providing opportunities for all of our students to choose healthy food and activity options."

The announcement was made Nov. 16 at the American Public Health Association (APHA)’s 2014 Annual Meeting & Exposition. "For the past few years, we have been actively strengthening our commitment to promoting student health and wellness," said Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Rose. "Making the commitment necessary to join PHA is the logical next step for Binghamton and we look forward to the implementation of the PHA guidelines."

The University has agreed to implement 23 specific guidelines over the next three years in the areas of food and nutrition, physical activity and programming, including ones that provide:

·       healthy food and beverage options at every meal

·       a registered dietician nutritionist for personal assessments

·       marked walking routes

·       a bicycle share program

·       diverse recreational activities

·       health and wellness education and activities

·       and much more

"Colleges and universities are in a unique position to help shape tomorrow’s leaders, whether they are teachers, coaches, policymakers, CEOs, moms or dads," said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. "We know that going to college is a time of change for many students — we also know that means it’s a time when new habits are formed. By creating healthier food and physical activity environments today, campuses and universities are encouraging healthier habits that will carry over into tomorrow."

For more information on PHA’s Healthier Campus Initiative, visit www.ahealthieramerica.org/campuses. For specifics on Binghamton University’s commitment, visit binghamton.edu/bhealthy/.

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.