White House announces partnership with NFL, NBA to promote health and wellness for kids

The White House announced it is partnering with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and 12 other major sports leagues and players associations to promote physical activity, nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

As part of the partnership, the NFL will build on its Play 60 initiative, which encourages children to get physically active for at least 60 minutes per day and has them learn about nutrition, second gentleman Doug Emhoff announced.

Emhoff also said the NBA and Women’s National Basketball Association will develop programming and events to promote healthy diets and physical activity for young people, including at the NBA All-Star Game later this month.

Additionally, he said the National Hockey League will expand access for children to experience hockey through investments in communities, and Major League Baseball will bolster its initiative to encourage young people to engage in baseball and softball. Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour, among other leagues and players associations, will also join the partnership.

The White House made the announcement ahead of Super Bowl weekend, during which the NFL will host an event with children in Las Vegas as part of its Play 60 initiative.

Chef José Andrés, co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joined Emhoff for the announcement and told reporters “community is collaboration.”

“I think collaboration is the key to really meaningful actions,” he said. “Collaboration between professional athletes, chefs and community health advocates that gives the President’s Council its strength. This collaboration we are announcing today, I think is another massive step in the right direction”

The announcement grows on President Biden’s strategy to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030, which was released in September 2022. The president announced the national strategy around the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which was the first of its kind in more than 50 years.