| For complete information on the goals of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy's Shape Up Somerville Project, click here. |
| Shape Up Somerville Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart. Play Hard. * School Food Service * In-School Curriculum * After School Curriculum * Parent / Community Outreach * Restaurants * Walkability / Safe Routes to School * School Nurses / Pediatricians * Policy Initiatives |
The CDC grant, Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart Play Hard.™, was awarded to Dr. Christina
Economos (N96) in September 2002 for three years.* The project is a community-based
environmental approach to obesity prevention targeting 1st–3rd graders in Somerville, MA. The
interventions take place through community partnerships that create healthy eating and physical
activity messages and increase opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, specifically
fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy and whole grain products throughout the children’s day.
Some of the interventions include:
School Food Service
For the past two years Shape Up Somerville has worked with the Somerville School Food Service
Department to enhance the quality and quantity of healthy foods for students. During the first year, a
specific fruit and vegetable was highlighted each month in all ten elementary schools and there were
taste tests done during lunch periods at all schools. The children voted on whether or not they would
like to have the featured fruits and vegetables on the monthly school menu. Colorful educational
posters and tabletop tents were displayed around school cafeterias with nutrient and health
information for all school staff to read. New kitchen preparation and serving equipment was
purchased. All food service staff were trained on nutrition education, knife skills including working with
the new equipment, and food safety. New vegetarian recipes were developed and salads were made
fresh each day. A La Carte items were changed to meet specific nutritional standards and fresh fruit
was made available everyday for breakfast and lunch. Ice cream was made available only one day
per week and sugared cereals were limited at breakfast. The School Department received another
grant last year and with that funding the School Food Service Department will increase initiatives
such as these. For example, this year a chef consultant was hired to work with all the staff.
In-School Curriculum
Over the past two years, 90+ teachers were trained to implement the new health curriculum, called
The HEAT Club (Health Eating and Active Time). Each lesson focuses on one of four themes:
increasing fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and low-fat dairy consumption, decreasing consumption of
snacks high in saturated fat and sugar, increasing physical activity, and decreasing sedentary time (i.
e. television viewing). The curriculum also has a component called Cool Moves, which features
creative ways to incorporate physical activity into the children’s classroom hours. There are also
extension activities that allow the teachers and children to extend the lessons and expand on the
objectives in creative ways. The art and PE teachers as well as librarians received curriculum
extensions.
After School Curriculum
During the first intervention year, six different after-school programs in Somerville were trained on
cooking and nutrition education as well as how to use The HEAT Club (Health Eating and Active
Time) after school curriculum. The lessons are geared toward cooking, creativity, and physical
activity. Program sites received cooking and physical activity equipment and the program leaders
were taught yoga, dance and soccer skills. Each program had a field trip to Gaining Ground, an
organic farm in Concord, MA. There, the children helped harvest crops, most of which were donated
to local food pantries and soup kitchens in the Greater Boston area and the children were able to
take some food home. This year all fifteen of the after school programs in Somerville have committed
to using the curriculum.
Parent / Community Outreach
We have reached out to parents and adults in the community in a variety of ways. Each month we
send home a colorful newsletter to over 500 parents and a community newsletter to over 200
community members. The newsletters contain health tips, updates on the project, and coupons for
healthy foods. We also have a physical activity guide and a healthy snack list that is posted on the
City and School website. We continue to reach out to parents through community events, local media
outlets, and the PTA. Last year we held three parent forums for parents whom English is not their first
language. We learned many valuable things that have helped this project continue effectively. Shape
Up Somerville staff serve on several different community coalitions that are working creatively toward
sustaining the different interventions, as well as working to bring in more funding to support health
initiatives. We were asked by community groups to create a Healthy Meeting Guide which educates
meeting planners on appropriate food and beverage choices.
Restaurants
Shape Up Somerville has been working with restaurants across the city to enhance the options for
people and families who eat out. 20 restaurants have come on board and are now “Shape Up
Approved”. In order for restaurants to be “Approved” they must meet the following criteria:
* Offer low fat dairy products
* Offer some dishes in a smaller portion size
* Offer fruits and vegetables as side dishes
* Have visible signs that highlight their healthier options
The following are “Shape Up Approved”. Look for the SUS sticker in their windows:
* Café Belo: 120 Washington St.
* Churrasco: 505 Medford St.
* Fusion Express: 195 Elm St.
* Lino’s Ristorante: 307 Somerville Ave.
* Mt. Vernon Restaurant: 14 Broadway
* Nantucket Grill (Holiday Inn): 30 Washington
* O’Naturals: 187 Elm St.
* Out of the Blue: 382 Highland Ave.
* Picante Mexican Grill: 217 Elm St.
* Picnic Place Pizza: 1 Main St.
* Sabor do Brazil: 431 Somerville Ave.
* Soleil Café: 1153 Broadway
* Sherman Café: Union Sq.
* Subway: 197 Elm St.
* Sunrise Cuisine: 76 Middlesex Ave.
* Supreme Kitchen: 233 Highland Ave.
* TAB Eatery (Tufts University): 169 Holland St.
* True Grounds: 717 Broadway
* Wang’s Fast Food: 509 Broadway
Walkability / Safe Routes to School
A community walking committee was formed in the spring of 2003 to guide the walking initiative for
students. The committee came together to submit a grant to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
and received funding through their Active Living by Design (ALbD) initiative in the summer of 2003.
Together with the Somerville ALbD Partnership a Pedestrian/Bike Coordinator for the City was hired,
Safe Routes to School (SR2S) maps were created using Geographic Informational System (GIS) for
each school within a half-mile distance. The SR2S maps were distributed to all parents of 1st-3rd
graders, as well as being posted on the School and City’s website. Other initiatives were piloted for
example a walking school bus, traffic calming campaign, and these efforts have further fortified our
social network with the schools and hundreds of parents. We asked parents to fill out walkability
checklists and with that data held pedestrian trainings to educate policy makers about the link
between city planning and public health issues such as obesity. The Mayor authorized all crosswalks
be re-painted in thermoplastic material and bike racks are being installed at all elementary schools.
We will continue our work with the Somerville ALbD partnership to extend the community bike path,
and to create open spaces and policies supporting pedestrians and bicyclists.
School Nurses / Pediatricians
All Somerville school nurses have been formally trained to collect height and weight on elementary
school students each year, as well as how to approach and counsel families who have a child
identified as at risk of or overweight. We also trained over 18 local pediatricians and family physicians
at four different clinics and the school nurses to introduce a new toolkit for how to assess and
address overweight. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts provided the toolkit to us. We work
closely with the Somerville School Physician and put on a successful 1st Annual Shape Up Somerville
5K in September of 2004. This year’s walk is September 25th at Trum Field in Somerville.
Policy Initiatives
According to the 2003 Shape Up Somerville project data, 46% of Somerville’s 1st–3rd grade
population are at risk of overweight or are overweight; childhood obesity has serious negative health
outcomes for the children in Somerville and the entire Somerville community. Since children and
adolescents spend a large amount of their time in school, the Somerville School District has decided
to take a leadership role in preventing obesity in Somerville. In order to respond to the current
obesity epidemic effectively, the Somerville School District has committed to improving in the areas of
nutrition, physical activity, and nutrition education. Some policy areas include:
* School Food Service
* Classroom Snacks
* Food for School Events
* School Staff Role Modeling
* Fundraisers
* After school programs policies for snacks
* After School policies for physical activity
* Transportation to School for students
* Time for recess, lunch, and physical education
* Yearly height and weight data collection with reports for parents
If you would like more information on any of these interventions, please contact Jessica Collins via
email (Jessica.Collins@tufts.edu), or by phone at (617) 636-3563.
* The grant has received supplemental support from The US Potato Board, Dole Food Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shiled of MA. It
is also supported through generous donations by Whole Foods Market, WGBH, New Balance, Gaining Ground, Annie’s Homegrown,
Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, White Wave, Earthbound Farms, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Cabot Creamery, Friendship Dairies, Newman’s
Own, The Vermont Bread Company, and the Kashi Company.
Economos (N96) in September 2002 for three years.* The project is a community-based
environmental approach to obesity prevention targeting 1st–3rd graders in Somerville, MA. The
interventions take place through community partnerships that create healthy eating and physical
activity messages and increase opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, specifically
fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy and whole grain products throughout the children’s day.
Some of the interventions include:
School Food Service
For the past two years Shape Up Somerville has worked with the Somerville School Food Service
Department to enhance the quality and quantity of healthy foods for students. During the first year, a
specific fruit and vegetable was highlighted each month in all ten elementary schools and there were
taste tests done during lunch periods at all schools. The children voted on whether or not they would
like to have the featured fruits and vegetables on the monthly school menu. Colorful educational
posters and tabletop tents were displayed around school cafeterias with nutrient and health
information for all school staff to read. New kitchen preparation and serving equipment was
purchased. All food service staff were trained on nutrition education, knife skills including working with
the new equipment, and food safety. New vegetarian recipes were developed and salads were made
fresh each day. A La Carte items were changed to meet specific nutritional standards and fresh fruit
was made available everyday for breakfast and lunch. Ice cream was made available only one day
per week and sugared cereals were limited at breakfast. The School Department received another
grant last year and with that funding the School Food Service Department will increase initiatives
such as these. For example, this year a chef consultant was hired to work with all the staff.
In-School Curriculum
Over the past two years, 90+ teachers were trained to implement the new health curriculum, called
The HEAT Club (Health Eating and Active Time). Each lesson focuses on one of four themes:
increasing fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and low-fat dairy consumption, decreasing consumption of
snacks high in saturated fat and sugar, increasing physical activity, and decreasing sedentary time (i.
e. television viewing). The curriculum also has a component called Cool Moves, which features
creative ways to incorporate physical activity into the children’s classroom hours. There are also
extension activities that allow the teachers and children to extend the lessons and expand on the
objectives in creative ways. The art and PE teachers as well as librarians received curriculum
extensions.
After School Curriculum
During the first intervention year, six different after-school programs in Somerville were trained on
cooking and nutrition education as well as how to use The HEAT Club (Health Eating and Active
Time) after school curriculum. The lessons are geared toward cooking, creativity, and physical
activity. Program sites received cooking and physical activity equipment and the program leaders
were taught yoga, dance and soccer skills. Each program had a field trip to Gaining Ground, an
organic farm in Concord, MA. There, the children helped harvest crops, most of which were donated
to local food pantries and soup kitchens in the Greater Boston area and the children were able to
take some food home. This year all fifteen of the after school programs in Somerville have committed
to using the curriculum.
Parent / Community Outreach
We have reached out to parents and adults in the community in a variety of ways. Each month we
send home a colorful newsletter to over 500 parents and a community newsletter to over 200
community members. The newsletters contain health tips, updates on the project, and coupons for
healthy foods. We also have a physical activity guide and a healthy snack list that is posted on the
City and School website. We continue to reach out to parents through community events, local media
outlets, and the PTA. Last year we held three parent forums for parents whom English is not their first
language. We learned many valuable things that have helped this project continue effectively. Shape
Up Somerville staff serve on several different community coalitions that are working creatively toward
sustaining the different interventions, as well as working to bring in more funding to support health
initiatives. We were asked by community groups to create a Healthy Meeting Guide which educates
meeting planners on appropriate food and beverage choices.
Restaurants
Shape Up Somerville has been working with restaurants across the city to enhance the options for
people and families who eat out. 20 restaurants have come on board and are now “Shape Up
Approved”. In order for restaurants to be “Approved” they must meet the following criteria:
* Offer low fat dairy products
* Offer some dishes in a smaller portion size
* Offer fruits and vegetables as side dishes
* Have visible signs that highlight their healthier options
The following are “Shape Up Approved”. Look for the SUS sticker in their windows:
* Café Belo: 120 Washington St.
* Churrasco: 505 Medford St.
* Fusion Express: 195 Elm St.
* Lino’s Ristorante: 307 Somerville Ave.
* Mt. Vernon Restaurant: 14 Broadway
* Nantucket Grill (Holiday Inn): 30 Washington
* O’Naturals: 187 Elm St.
* Out of the Blue: 382 Highland Ave.
* Picante Mexican Grill: 217 Elm St.
* Picnic Place Pizza: 1 Main St.
* Sabor do Brazil: 431 Somerville Ave.
* Soleil Café: 1153 Broadway
* Sherman Café: Union Sq.
* Subway: 197 Elm St.
* Sunrise Cuisine: 76 Middlesex Ave.
* Supreme Kitchen: 233 Highland Ave.
* TAB Eatery (Tufts University): 169 Holland St.
* True Grounds: 717 Broadway
* Wang’s Fast Food: 509 Broadway
Walkability / Safe Routes to School
A community walking committee was formed in the spring of 2003 to guide the walking initiative for
students. The committee came together to submit a grant to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
and received funding through their Active Living by Design (ALbD) initiative in the summer of 2003.
Together with the Somerville ALbD Partnership a Pedestrian/Bike Coordinator for the City was hired,
Safe Routes to School (SR2S) maps were created using Geographic Informational System (GIS) for
each school within a half-mile distance. The SR2S maps were distributed to all parents of 1st-3rd
graders, as well as being posted on the School and City’s website. Other initiatives were piloted for
example a walking school bus, traffic calming campaign, and these efforts have further fortified our
social network with the schools and hundreds of parents. We asked parents to fill out walkability
checklists and with that data held pedestrian trainings to educate policy makers about the link
between city planning and public health issues such as obesity. The Mayor authorized all crosswalks
be re-painted in thermoplastic material and bike racks are being installed at all elementary schools.
We will continue our work with the Somerville ALbD partnership to extend the community bike path,
and to create open spaces and policies supporting pedestrians and bicyclists.
School Nurses / Pediatricians
All Somerville school nurses have been formally trained to collect height and weight on elementary
school students each year, as well as how to approach and counsel families who have a child
identified as at risk of or overweight. We also trained over 18 local pediatricians and family physicians
at four different clinics and the school nurses to introduce a new toolkit for how to assess and
address overweight. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts provided the toolkit to us. We work
closely with the Somerville School Physician and put on a successful 1st Annual Shape Up Somerville
5K in September of 2004. This year’s walk is September 25th at Trum Field in Somerville.
Policy Initiatives
According to the 2003 Shape Up Somerville project data, 46% of Somerville’s 1st–3rd grade
population are at risk of overweight or are overweight; childhood obesity has serious negative health
outcomes for the children in Somerville and the entire Somerville community. Since children and
adolescents spend a large amount of their time in school, the Somerville School District has decided
to take a leadership role in preventing obesity in Somerville. In order to respond to the current
obesity epidemic effectively, the Somerville School District has committed to improving in the areas of
nutrition, physical activity, and nutrition education. Some policy areas include:
* School Food Service
* Classroom Snacks
* Food for School Events
* School Staff Role Modeling
* Fundraisers
* After school programs policies for snacks
* After School policies for physical activity
* Transportation to School for students
* Time for recess, lunch, and physical education
* Yearly height and weight data collection with reports for parents
If you would like more information on any of these interventions, please contact Jessica Collins via
email (Jessica.Collins@tufts.edu), or by phone at (617) 636-3563.
* The grant has received supplemental support from The US Potato Board, Dole Food Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shiled of MA. It
is also supported through generous donations by Whole Foods Market, WGBH, New Balance, Gaining Ground, Annie’s Homegrown,
Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, White Wave, Earthbound Farms, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Cabot Creamery, Friendship Dairies, Newman’s
Own, The Vermont Bread Company, and the Kashi Company.
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