The Institute for America's Health has announced a $1.29 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to expand its school-based anti-obesity program.

The grant will enable IAH to expand its WAY (Wellness, Academics & You) to a Healthier America initiative to thirty new elementary schools in Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and the state of Alabama. The program works to combat and prevent childhood obesity and improve the nutritional outcomes and overall health of students and their families by integrating an interactive, application-based, health and wellness program into the core classroom curriculum.

Last year, the Walmart Foundation awarded $1 million dollars to IAH to implement the initiative in fifty-six schools in the same markets. This year, a portion of the funding is earmarked specifically for school gardens, salad bars, and nutrition-focused educational resources.

"Child obesity is a major threat to the future of our country. This threat not only affects the health of our children today, but if not reversed it will have a lasting and negative impact on America's workforce, life expectancy, quality of life, and our national and state budgets," said IAH executive director Stuart Reese. "Our partnership with the Walmart Foundation has allowed us to greatly expand the scope and reach of our programming, especially in underserved communities."