Gaining traction: What Massachusetts has done to move the needle on childhood obesity

There are many factors that influence the development of an individual's lifestyle behaviors, including the culture and community in which he or she lives, the organizations in which he or she is involved, and his or her interpersonal relationships. Reducing overweight and obesity across the lifespan will require community-level, municipal-wide support of healthy behaviors through policy, systems and environmental changes. The Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership Grant Program is designed to build capacity at the municipal level to create a sustained approach for active living and healthy eating. Municipalities have been funded to plan, assess, initiate, and/or expand the implementation of policy, systems, and/or environmental approaches that support healthy eating and active living. Under the leadership of city or town management (e.g., Mayor, Town Manager or the Board of Selectmen), municipalities create or expand an existing community partnership that includes municipal partners (e.g., local elected officials, local Board of Health, Planning, Parks and Recreation, Economic Development, School Superintendent, Councils on Aging/Senior Centers) and community partners (e.g., YMCAs, faith-based organizations, legislators, hospitals/healthcare providers, health insurance providers, foundations, business owners, chambers of commerce, urban planners, and leaders from underserved and/or racial and ethnic communities) to lead this effort. The initiative began in May 2009 as a public/private partnership between MDPH and several health/community foundations. As of February 2012 there are 33 Mass in Motion programs serving 52 communities across the state. 33% of the residents of the Commonwealth live in a Mass in Motion community.