Former President Clinton helped to announce an initiative to fight childhood obesity by promoting healthier food and more exercise in schools. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has committed eight million dollars to the health schools effort.

The program will initially work with 253 schools in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The schools will get help in improving the nutritional value of the food served in cafeterias and vending machines, increasing physical activity, providing health lessons and promoting staff wellness.

More than 9 million U.S. children over the age of 6 are considered obese, and during the past three decades, obesity rates tripled among U.S. children aged 6 to 11, according to data from the Johnson Foundation.