Sanofi US and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Announce a New Model For the Private Sector to Combat Childhood Obesity

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Jun 15, 2012, 10:00 ET

Sanofi US Pledges $800,000 to Support Healthy Schools in New Jersey and Commits to Follow Recommendations Providing Childhood Obesity Healthcare Benefits to All Sanofi US Employees

NEW YORK, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sanofi US (Sanofi) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a non-profit organization founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, today announced a new model for the private sector to combat childhood obesity. Sanofi pledged $800,000 to support the Alliance's work supporting healthy schools in the company's home state of New Jersey, and commits to provide preventative childhood obesity healthcare benefits to all of its employees.

Sanofi's commitment will support the expansion of the Alliance's Healthy Schools Program, which currently supports more than 14,000 schools nationwide and more than 250 schools in New Jersey. With the sponsorship from Sanofi, the Alliance will expand its work in New Jersey to support schools in their efforts to create environments where physical activity and healthy eating for students and staff are the norm, not the exception. Additionally, Sanofi is one of the latest companies to support the Alliance's recommendations of its Healthier Generation Benefit for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood obesity.

"Not only can companies support the programmatic work of childhood obesity initiatives across the country, they can change their own business practice to ensure future generations live long and healthy lives," said Ginny Ehlirch, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. "Sanofi is changing the landscape of how the private sector can help combat this critical public health issue. I applaud them for making this commitment to help reverse the childhood obesity epidemic."

Grounded in the philosophy that there is no single cause and no single solution for childhood obesity, the Alliance prides itself on serving as a catalyst for businesses to become a part of the solution. By engaging with companies from diverse industries, the Alliance is able to improve the access kids and families have to healthcare benefits, nutritious foods and physical activity.

"We are pleased to partner with the Alliance to support the expansion in NJ of its Healthy Schools Program, as well as support the guidelines of the Alliance's Healthier Generation Benefit," says Angela Moskow, Vice President of Chronic Disease Prevention & Wellness at Sanofi US. "As a healthcare solutions company, Sanofi is committed to the prevention of chronic disease among all populations, including our nation's youth."

Sanofi's financial support of the Alliance will increase the footprint of the Healthy Schools Program in New Jersey by 85 schools, where the Sanofi US headquarters are located. The Healthy Schools Program supports schools across the country to help transform their campuses into places where physical activity and nutritious food are part of the daily culture. Nearly 80 percent of schools participating in the Healthy Schools Program have made measurable progress towards creating a healthier school environment.

Additionally, Sanofi has committed to following the recommendations of the Healthier Generation Benefit, providing its US-based employees healthcare coverage for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Sanofi's healthcare benefit structure currently allows eligible employees' dependents four follow up visits with their primary care provider and four visits with a registered dietitian per year. These healthcare professionals will work with children and their families on how to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Alliance's Healthier Generation Benefit reaches more than 2.4 million young people through a network of 56,000 healthcare providers across the country. In addition to Sanofi, some of the nation's leading employers and insurance companies support the recommended guidelines of the Healthier Generation Benefit including Aetna, Accenture, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Highmark, Inc., Humana, PepsiCo, and WellPoint.

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation works to address one of the nation's leading public health threats – childhood obesity. The goal of the Alliance is to reduce the nationwide prevalence of childhood obesity by 2015, and to empower kids to make healthy lifestyle choices. Founded in 2005 by the American Heart Association and William J. Clinton Foundation, the Alliance works to positively affect the places that can make a difference to a child's health: homes, schools, doctor's offices and communities. To learn more about the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, visit www.HealthierGeneration.org

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

SOURCE Alliance for a Healthier Generation