WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced that Maine has been awarded $190,042 in nutrition training grants.

The grants, distributed by the USDA, are part of the Healthier U.S. School Initiative, which President Bush launched in 2002. The purpose of the program is to fight childhood obesity by promoting healthy life choices, such as good nutrition and exercise.

Only 21 states received the Team Nutrition training grants that will be used to implement and improve nutrition education for children. Through Team Nutrition, schools are provided with nutrition education materials for families, school food service directors and staff. The state of Maine will determine exactly where the funds will go.

“If we are going to succeed in this battle against obesity, we must teach our children to make healthy life decisions at a young age,” Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement.