CITY AWARDED THREE MEDALS FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ADDRESSING CHILDHOOD OBESITY THROUGH LET’S MOVE! CITIES, TOWNS AND COUNTIES

"Local elected officials play a critical role in addressing

childhood obesity in our country and communities, and we commend those leaders

being recognized for their achievements in taking action to improve healthy

eating and physical activity in their communities," said NLC President Marie

Lopez Rogers, mayor of Avondale, AZ. 

Three medals - two gold and one silver - were

awarded to Shape Up Somerville for

action taken to improve access to healthy affordable food and increase opportunities

for physical activity. Medals were awarded for Shape Up Somerville's

achievements in the areas of early childhood nutrition programs; universal free

breakfast and free/reduced lunch programs in all public schools; and a model

food and nutrition service program.

In the ten years since its inception, Shape Up Somerville

has been successfully integrated into every aspect of municipal policy-making,

from recreation programming and parks expansion to school food services, and

from urban agriculture and farmers markets programs to transit-, pedestrian-,

and bike-friendly development strategies. 

Through the partnership with LMCTC and the support of the National

League of Cities and First Lady Michelle Obama, recent accomplishments have

included securing interagency collaboration, through Head Start, to build a

Family Learning Collaborative and health food program for preschool students;

offering universal free breakfast to students in grades K-8, with the addition

of fresh salad bars in all schools by the end of the 2013-14 school year; and

the creation of policies and ordinances around school recess, urban agriculture

and zoning, multimodal transit options (including painting more than 30 miles

of bike lanes in the last three years and a regional bike share program), and

increasing numbers of play spaces for resident of all ages.

"In Somerville, every policy decision we make is guided by

one orienting value:  making our community an exceptional place to live,

work, play and raise a family.  Our work on core issues such as increasing

access to fresh, wholesome foods and opportunities for physical activity has

helped us to cultivate a healthier, happier, and more productive community."

said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "With the support of First Lady Michelle Obama

and LMCTC, we continue to make great progress in all of these areas, and we are

honored to again be awarded for our efforts at the local level."

All LMCTC sites have the opportunity to earn up to five gold

medals, one for each actionable goal they commit to as part of the initiative.

The five goal areas are:

• Goal I:
  
  Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical
  
  activity, and screen time in early care and education settings

• Goal II:
  
  My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or
  
  county venues where food is served

• Goal III:
  
  Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast
  
  and lunch programs

• Goal IV:
  
  Model Food Service: Implementing
  
  healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary
  
  Guidelines for Americans

• Goal V:
  
  Active Kids at Play: Increasing
  
  opportunities for physical activity

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the lead

collaborating partner on this initiative, working with the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National

Association of Counties, and other nonprofit organizations, in assisting local

elected officials to implement policy and environmental changes to prevent

childhood obesity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded NLC a grant

to provide technical assistance to local elected officials working to create

healthier communities and prevent childhood obesity, including sites

participating in LMCTC.

More than 370 cities, towns and counties are participating

in LMCTC. Each month, NLC recognizes local elected officials who achieve key

benchmarks for the five LMCTC goals. To date, NLC has awarded 1,274 bronze,

silver, and gold medals to recognize local elected officials across the country

for their progress.

For more information about LMCTC and Shape Up Somerville's

accomplishments, visit www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org.

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city

leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000

cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.