There were many partners involved in the
“1% Or Less” campaign described below—each of whom played critical roles, working out front and behind the scenes, garnering
both community support and the support
of the agencies for which they worked.
The Bronx Health REACH Coalition (BHR) had
been working in the area since 1999, reaching out to residents in schools, churches,
and community-based organizations. BHR’s Coalition included more than 40 groups, and
had several subcommittees, or workgroups.
Its work focused in several areas: primary
prevention designed to teach people about
nutrition and exercise to promote healthier
choices; environmental change designed to
make healthier foods and places to exercise more available; education about health disparities
and equal access to health and health
care; and policy change to support the goals
of the Coalition.4 BHR played a leading role in
the campaign to eliminate whole milk, bringing
the partners together through its Nutrition
and Fitness Workgroup (known as “Nut/Fit”),
which included both the Montefiore School
Health Program and the Bronx District Public
Health Office of the NYC Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene (BxDPHO). BHR
was also instrumental in educating its Coalition
members about obesity and the bene-
fits of reduced fat milk, thereby garnering
both parent and community support for the
campaign