The FitArlington Healthy Vending Initiative promotes healthy lifestyles and empowers citizens to make healthier choices by replacing sugary snacks and beverages in vending machines in Arlington County Community Centers with higher-quality and more nutritious foods and beverages. To learn more about the Healthy Vending machines, please read the nutrition information or visit HealthyVending.com.

Fit Food from Community Center Vending Machines

• All community centers in Arlington County now feature healthy vending machines through Nutrition Without Borders, LLC.
• Beverages will have no artificial sweeteners and no added amino acids.
• Sports drinks will contain 100 calories or less.
• No beverages (except water) will be greater than 12 ounces.
• Snacks will have no more than 250 calories and no artificial sweeteners.
• No more than 10 percent of the calories in any snack will come from saturated fats.

Obesity Statistics and Nutrition

• In 2009, self-reported obesity prevalence in the United States was 26.7 percent. Roughly 3 out of 5 Americans carry an unhealthy amount of excess weight.
• In 2007, Virginia ranked as the 25th heaviest state with respect to childhood and adult obesity.
• Nearly 17 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, triple the proportion in 1980. The percentage of overweight African American, Hispanic and Native American children is greater than 20%.
• A startling 28% of Arlington children and adolescents are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight.
• Only 31% of our Arlington children consume five or more servings of fruits/vegetables per day; 36% of our youth eat one or more fast food snack meals per day.

FitArlington Goals

• Maximize existing opportunities to promote physical activity
• Connect and promote existing opportunities and resources via a comprehensive calendar/database
• Provide incentives and recognition for physical activity
• Help to empower people to be fit
• Promote models for active living
• Facilitate a community design for active living
• Foster community policy that advances active living