Healthy Communities Summit: A First for Somerville, a First for Massachusetts

Healthy Communities Summit:
A First for Somerville, a First for Massachusetts

The strong demand for healthy communities in Massachusetts was palpable at the first-of-its-kind statewide Healthy Communities Summit held September 2008.  Some 85 mayors and municipal CEOs attended and eagerly discussed the relationship between healthy communities and economic vitality.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 21.3% of Massachusetts residents were obese in 2007.  This translates into big costs in terms of healthcare and quality of life, issues of grave concern to state municipal officials.  

The summit was hosted at Tufts University by Somerville, Massachusetts Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, in partnership with leading health care, academic, and community-based organizations.  Information was shared about policies and tools municipal leaders can use to promote more active lifestyles and healthy eating options for their residents.  Participants also learned how a healthy community promotes economic strength as well as public health.   Finally, ideas were shared regarding how local government can promote fitness and better nutrition through its schools, parks, public safety, public health, and traffic and parking programs. 

Somerville was an ideal host town and case example because they have been successful in their healthy living efforts.  The city gained nationwide recognition in curbing childhood obesity in its schools, and since 2004, the city has created 20 new parks, playgrounds, and community gardens.  Part of this effort includes Shape Up Somerville, a city-wide campaign to increase daily physical activity and healthy eating through programming, physical infrastructure improvements, and policy work.  Shape Up Somerville targets all segments of the community, including schools, city government, civic organizations, community groups, businesses, and other people who live, work, and play in Somerville.
 
"The future of our communities is closely tied to the health and wellbeing of our residents," Mayor Curtatone said.  "The continued success of Shape Up Somerville proves that a coordinated, communitywide approach is the best way to achieve positive and lasting change."  Shape Up Somerville coordinator Nicole Rioles noted that lasting change can be also be cost-efficient.   Rioles reports that even despite the city's big successes, they spent the least amount of money per capita on healthy community efforts in the state over the last several years.

The Healthy Communities Summit featured a keynote address from Mark Fenton, a public health, planning, and transportation consultant.  Fenton, author and host of PBS's "America's Walking," talked about "free-range kids" referring to a time when children had more space to play and engaged in spontaneous games and activities.  He suggested community leaders should look at all aspects of their community to increase the options for physical activity and healthy eating, including transportation, new construction and re-use of existing facilities.   Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach moderated a panel on healthy communities, and representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health provided resources and tools available to municipals leaders.
Summit attendees were asked to sign a pledge emphasizing their commitment to healthy communities which declared they would, among other things, "explore and implement policies and best practices that address daily access to healthy eating and physical activity options for everyone in this community."  They also received a model board of health resolution, prepared by the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards.  The resolution titled "Planning for a Healthier Future through the Built Environment and Community Design" is designed to help boards of health have a voice in the early stages of the planning process.

The Healthy Communities Summit utilized Somerville as a case study of a healthy community promoting not only public health, but also economic strength.  As a local blogger reports, summit panelists agreed that cities and towns can begin making systematic changes in their communities to reduce the increasing obesity rate and create a higher quality of life for residents -- and ultimately, reduce costs.  Through this and future summits, Rioles notes, "we hope to see more communities join in the successes Somerville has had."

Resources

• Shape Up Somerville (http://www.somervillema.gov/Division.cfm?orgunit=SUS)
• Healthy Communities Summit Pledge
• Somerville Mayor's blog posting (http://blogs.townonline.com/somervilleMayor/)
• Wicked Local Somerville blog posting (http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/lifestyle/health/x506585018/S...)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Obesity Rates (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/)