141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

294593
Creating social change at the community level: A mayor's perspective

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Joseph Curtatone, Mayor, City of Somerville, MA , City of Somerville, Somerville, MA
Local government has had a major role in helping to launch and sustain the Shape Up Somerville program. Originally targeting early elementary school children, Shape Up Somerville is now a city wide campaign to increase daily physical activity and healthy eating of the community. This talk will focus on the role of local government in sparking and maintaining social change movements using specific examples from Shape Up Somerville.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe how local governments can promote social change movements for physical activity and healthy eating.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Mayor of Somerville so can describe from my perspective how the Shape Up Somerville movement progressed to create change.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.