Massachusetts

Overweight and obesity have tremendous consequences on our nation's health and economy. Both are linked to a number of chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. Most American communities are characterized by unhealthy options when it comes to diet and physical activity. We need public health approaches that make healthy options easy, affordable, and available for all Americans.

CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) currently funds 25 states to address the problems of obesity and other chronic diseases through statewide efforts with multiple partners.  The program's primary focus is to create policy and environmental changes to increase: physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and breastfeeding; and to decrease: television viewing, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and consumption of high-energy dense foods (high calorie/low nutrient foods). Massachusetts has received funding for this program since 2000.

The Burden of Obesity in Massachusetts

Massachusetts' estimated 2007 total population is 6.5 million, with approximately 5 million adults. Of those adults, 37% are considered overweight and another 22% are considered obese, according to 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. Problems are also seen in factors related to obesity and other chronic diseases.

• Approximately one-in-five Massachusetts adults report no leisure time physical activity in the past month.
• Only 28% percent of adults report eating fruits and vegetables at least five times a day.

Also, the National Immunization Survey shows that Massachusetts is not meeting four of the five Healthy People 2010 goals for breastfeeding based on children born in 2005.

The problem is not limited to adults alone. Fifteen percent of Massachusetts youth (9th–12th grades) are considered overweight and another 11% are considered obese, according to 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data.

• Only two-in-five youth in these grade levels are meeting current physical activity recommendation levels.
• One quarter of Massachusetts youth drink at least one non-diet soda each day.
• Twenty-eight percent watch three or more hours of television each day.

Obesity also affects the state's economy. In Massachusetts, the medical costs associated with adult obesity were $1.8 billion in 2003 dollars. 

What is Massachusetts Doing about Obesity?

One of Massachusetts' main efforts is the state's Mass in Motion initiative. This initiative includes the following components:

• A Community Wellness Grant program serving 33 Massachusetts communities.
• A Web site with resources to promote healthy eating and active living for families and individuals at home, in school, at work and in the community.
• The Working on Wellness initiative which targets small and medium-sized employers with worksite wellness resources. It has reached 26,000 employees to date.
• Executive Orders requiring agencies which have state contracts to provide food services to meet nutrition guidelines (i.e., promote fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and reduce sugar-sweetened beverages).
• Regulations requiring the calculating and reporting of body mass index (BMI) measurements in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Another initiative is the Healthy Choices program, a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. This program contains the following components:

• Nutrition and physical activity topics that are integrated into core subjects using the “Planet Health” curriculum.
• Assessment of and improvement in the school environment for nutrition and physical activity.
• Before- and after-school programs to provide opportunities for practicing healthy choices.
• School-wide activities that reinforce the “5-2-1” message promoting eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day, no more than 2 hours of screen time, and at least 1 hour of physical activity daily.

Healthy Choices reaches approximately 75,000 youth in more than 110 public middle schools. Preliminary evaluation results showed that the initiative was effective in facilitating important policy and environmental changes that promote healthy behaviors, and showed reduced hours of TV watching and increased participation in moderate physical activity.

Through these activities, Massachusetts and CDC are addressing obesity by creating places where Massachusetts residents can make healthy choices about nutrition and physical activity.

For more information:
Christina Nordstrom
Program Director
Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02018
Telephone: 617-994-9859
Fax: 617-624-5075
E-mail: christina.nordstrom@state.ma.us
Web site: www.mass.gov/massinmotion/

---