Vote Medford 2007

Full Text: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

According to the NIH the number of obese children in the United States continues to increase. What is the school system doing to enable students to make good nutrition decisions in school and at home, and to encourage them to engage in regular physical activity? In light of NIH statistics, are there improvements that could be made in Medford? If so, what are they and what would you do to lead the charge?

Attenazio: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

First, we now should have a Health/Nutrition Policy that was directed by the state in the past two years. This should be reviewed to see if it is current and relevant. If it is not on the books, the SC needs to provide policy on that. Physical education is still required in our schools at some levels. Reviewing schedules at middle and high schools might open up expanded opportunities, but again this would be budget driven in many instances because it would impact staffing.

The district can provide nutrition focused newsletters generated by school nurses, the schools or PTO’s to get the information out to families. In these communications, further reading or internet resources should be shared. The district should also dedicate a Nutrition page on the district website.

Brady: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

We are very aware of the obesity issue. We have been strong advocates for whole child thinking in our schools which includes a strong emphasis on health and nutrition. Our school lunch and breakfast programs are switching over to healthier foods and we have eliminated soda from our vending machines. We have started walking clubs in many of our schools and are switching emphasis in our Physical education program from sports to health. The Health Office conducts annual Body Mass Index screenings. We need to do more parent workshops to get homes to work with us on diet and exercise. We are applying for a substantial grant with Hallmark Health to expand our resources and programming in this area. Last year the School Committee adopted a comprehensive Wellness policy for the school system.

Cugno: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

The school system is already working on the problem of obesity in our community. The way we are going about is by having various programs being implemented in our schools. Starting with the walking clubs that many of our schools have initiated either by a principal, teacher or nurse of that school and the wonderful part is the program has not only incorporated the students but also the parents. We have eliminated certain foods from the vending machines and the lunch program. Teachers are speaking to their students more and more on the importance of nutrition and the consequences of what over eating of certain foods will cause. We the school committee along with the Superintendent have been promoting the Whole Child and the Homefront initiative. We have a had a sub-committee set up, which I was happy to be part of, and it was comprised of administrators, teachers, parents, doctors, and nurses to bring together ideas to implement beneficial steps towards better health options. What I have done in promoting health in our city is work along side City Counselor, Breanna Lungo and Kristin Howell, a 4th grade teacher from the Brooks school, in having our first Medford Fit for Life 5K Walk that was in honor of Officer Patrick Fahey. The walk was to promote a community day for fitness to anyone that wanted to participate. It not only promoted awareness in our health, brought us closer together as a community, but it also raised enough money to provide for sixteen scholarships for all of the elementary schools in our city towards the Medford Summer Time Program.

D'aveta: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

Physical activity is key to fighting obesity. To that extent, Medford has a good level of involvement in team sports. But for those who choose not to participate in a team sport, other options should be available, such as activities on the school grounds prior to and after the regular class day, where teachers or PE staff would be available to consult and answer questions on regulated physical fitness activities undertaken by the student.

Medford may also want to take advantage of grants available to fight childhood obesity; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has been offering grants for just such a purpose.

DiGiantommaso: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

The Health Department set up a school wellness plan that the School Committee approved.

Kulik: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

We could require mandatory cooking classes as part of science or health classes to learn more about what goes into the food we eat. We can provide curriculums that teach calorie and fat awareness.

We should add cal as part of gym, encourage more strenuous recess activity at elementary and middle schools as well as to make walking a part of health or gym class. We can form before or after school walking clubs.

In addition, we could require some sort of after school physical activity (if not already part of an organized group such as baseball, football, soccer, etc.) We could also help to raise awareness of individual competition such as bike or road races or triathlons. In general the schools should become more proactive to in encouraging better eating and physical activity.

O'Keefe: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

The School District Wellness Program was reviewed by the DOE recently and currently meets all Nutritional guidelines and benchmarks. As a school community, we can always do better. By encouraging Wellness Committees or Wellness Coordinators at each school, we can, as defined in the Massachusetts Association of School Committee literature:

• increase opportunities for physical education and activities
• ensure guidelines for maximizing nutritional values by decreasing fat and added sugars
• provide workshops and information surrounding nutrition education for children.
• engage mentoring programs for students for younger students
• explore MHTV15 with programs in collaboration with Tufts University

Strong policies and practices around Health Education and Nutritional guidelines will ensure adequate time around morning, snack, and lunch room facilities. Those that participate in subsidized food programs should not be stigmatized either. Updates of implementation and expansion of this district wide endeavor should reported periodically to the school committee and the PTO's.

Pompeo: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

As a member of the school committee I see leading the charge as a joint effort and I would encourage my colleagues to join me. To enable students to make good nutrition decisions and to engage in regular physical activity must be the mission of the Health and Physical Education programs.

Skerry: (Q10) Nutrition and Activity Against Obesity

The Medford Schools have been active on many fronts:

• Eliminate certain foods from school lunch programs
• Eliminated soda from vending machines
• Discouraged the bringing in of high calorie/low nutrition foods into the school for events
• Began identifying nutritional values on foods that are served
• Promoted the Whole Child concept as a structure for talking about health
• Approved a school wide wellness plan
• Promoted the Homefront Initiative that engages parents in the process of ensuring the student avoid junk food and eat food that proves fuel for learning
• Encourages good nutrition through health classes
• Provides physical education programs with a growing emphasis on Health and Exercise
• Heath office conducts annyal Body Mass Index Screening
• Started walking clubs in many schools

We need to keep going. Get more involved and build momentum around this important topic.