Mayor's Wellness Council

The Mayor’s Wellness Council (“MWC”) was formed in 2005 by Mayor Bill White to address Houston’s ranking by Men’s Fitness magazine as the “Fattest City in America." Since then, Houston has improved its position in the Men’s Fitness rankings and, in 2008, dropped to Number 10.

The mission of the Mayor’s Wellness Council is “to leverage the auspices of the Mayor’s Office in collaboration with public, private, and non-profit sectors in the Greater Houston area to encourage and motivate Houstonians of all ages and abilities to make wise choices regarding healthy eating and regular physical activity through education and participation in fun activities.” It is considered a place where ideas related to the city’s health and fitness can be incubated and directed to places that can house and implement the ideas.

Some of the projects coming out of the Mayor’s Wellness Council include: Can Do Houston, the Mayor’s New Year/New You campaign, and the creation of neighborhood wellness teams. A number of committees meet regularly to support the Mayor’s Wellness Council’s mission, including committees related to: Childhood Obesity, Public Affairs, Nutrition, Medical & Scientific, and others.

HADA has been involved with the MWC by appointing a Director-at-Large who is dedicated to attending MWC committee meetings and promoting the value of employing RDs in efforts related to healthy eating. HADA has attended regular meetings of the policy committee and supplied volunteers at CAN DO Houston events. The presence of HADA within the MWC has increased the visibility of RDs as the nutrition experts in the Houston Community.

To learn more about the MWC, visit their website at: www.getmovinghouston.com, or e-mail Gayle Pearson, HADA Co-chair and Director-at-Large for the Mayor’s Wellness Council at: gaylepea@aol.com.