The National League of Cities has recognized the City of Knoxville and Knox County as two of 18 top achievers in the Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) initiative.

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett were among 400 mayors, city council members, county commissioners, and other local elected officials honored nationwide for their commitment to achieving health and wellness goals for the LMCTC. More than 60 million Americans are now living in LMCTC communities that are dedicated to helping young people eat healthy foods and be physically active. LMCTC is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive Let's Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving childhood obesity within a generation.

As part of the recognition at a ceremony at the National League of Cities Congress of Cities in Seattle on Thursday, NLC President Marie Lopez Rogers mentioned officials representing 18 communities that have made the most progress to date in completing the five goals.

"Local officials around the country are committed to taking action in their communities to help their residents be healthy," said NLC President Rogers, mayor of Avondale, Ariz. "We've seen recent signs of progress, with childhood obesity rates declining in some cities, counties, and states, and we hope to see continued progress thanks to the efforts of the local leaders being recognized today."

"It is an honor to be recognized, yet we know we have much more work to do," said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. "We want our kids to develop lifelong habits that will keep them active and healthy."

"In addition to our parks and sports programs that help get kids active, Knox County has an outstanding health department that is committed to improving student health in our community," said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. "This national recognition is well deserved and speaks to the cooperative effort by city, county and school officials to improve the well-being of children in our community."

LMCTC calls upon local elected officials to adopt sustainable and holistic policies that improve communities' access to healthy affordable foods and opportunities for physical activity through five goal areas:

Goal I: Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings Goal II: My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served Goal III: Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast and lunch programs Goal IV: Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Goal V: Active Kids at Play: Increasing opportunities for physical activity

The City of Knoxville and Knox County each have four gold medals in Goals I, II, IV, and V and a bronze medal in Goal III.

This past July, Mayor Rogero was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama to speak on a panel of four elected officials at a ceremony celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Let's Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties goals.

Both the City of Knoxville and Knox County became involved in the Let's Move! national initiative during the planning for the inaugural 2012 Let's Move! Event held in Knoxville. Knoxville's 2014 Let's Move! Event is slated for Saturday, May 3, in Victor Ashe Park.

For more information about the City of Knoxville's accomplishments, visit http://www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org/places/#Knoxville%2CTN.

For more information about Knox County's accomplishments, visit http://www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org/places/#Knox%20County%2CTN.

NLC is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.