Today I am kicking off the inaugural Partnership for a Healthier America Summit bringing together 800 leaders from the private sector committed to improving our nation’s health. The ambitious goal of PHA is to end childhood obesity within a generation and our schools have a major role to play in this frightening epidemic. Our kids need healthier foods and more exercise and our nation cannot afford to let schools sit on the sidelines of this fight.

We are already making some progress with initiatives like Chefs Move to Schools and successful private industry partnerships to make the healthier choice the easier choice in schools across the country, but we must do more. Over the past three decades childhood obesity has tripled in school-age children (ages 6-19) and this trend continues well past puberty as an overweight adolescent has a 70 percent chance of becoming an overweight adult. The time to act is now, please join us in this fight.

For more information, take look at the op-ed that Newark Mayor Cory Booker and I penned in Politico.