It Takes a Village to Promote Good Health

Back in May, I blogged about responsibility and childhood obesity. I posed questions about who and what were responsible for the crisis surrounding our children's health and mentioned that there are people who believe obesity and overweight are a personal issue. I cited several possible causes for childhood obesity, many of them adult-related, including parents who fail to set limits on screen time and policy makers who seem intent on eradicating physical activity from the school day.

What I didn't blog about was the positive impact a community can have on the well-being of its members. When I wrote Your Active Child, I told the story of Franklin County in Maine, where they had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure than most of the rest of the state. Because the county's residents relied on their cars to get around and the most affordable restaurants served the fattiest food, obesity -- and its resulting health problems -- had become a real concern. But a group of dedicated medical professionals got together and decided things had to change.

They called themselves the Rural Health Associates, and their volunteers took a variety of actions. They tested shoppers' blood pressure and cholesterol at local grocery stores, offering personal nutrition advice while there. They persuaded schools to invite adults to exercise by walking their halls (an especially important victory, as harsh New England winters can keep even the heartiest of souls from exercising outdoors). And they convinced the local university to allow residents to use its gym.

The result was one of the lowest death rates of any Maine county, along with the second lowest percentage of overweight and obese adults. But they didn't stop there. At the time my book was published, the original group had changed its name to the Healthy Community Coalition and together with hospital administrators, businesspeople, politicians, and about 400 locals, they were planning and implementing ideas for healthy living. One of their plans was for Stride into Summer, a community walking program.

This morning I read another, similar success story about community involvement, this one in Somerville, Massachusetts. According to the article, Somerville is "in the vanguard of communities putting environmental and policy changes - rather than exhortations to modify individual behavior - at the center of their fight against obesity." The schools are doing their part, of course; but the city itself has also made major changes, including the creation of bike and pedestrian paths. (This is so refreshing in a country that leans toward being automobile friendly!)

Obviously, in the fight for children's fitness (and our own), there are some things we can't do alone. Creating a plan to walk the neighborhood kids to school is one of them. There are also plenty of other worthy projects for which you'd want to enlist the help of neighbors and community. But all it takes is one person who believes she or he can make a difference, and, before you know it, the power of that belief has others involved. Then watch what happens!

For Somerville, the change began five years ago, when the city "embarked on an ambitious collaboration with Tufts University called Shape Up Somerville to see whether systemic changes that encourage healthy eating and physical activity would help children stave off obesity." I don't know exactly how it started, but you can bet it was with the idea of one committed person!