Boston Public Health Commission

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Sugary Drinks Campaign Ads

These are the different ads for our Sugary Drinks Campaigns.

CPPW Obesity Prevention

Boston was one of 44 communities that were awarded two-year stimulus grants for "Communities Putting Prevention to Work," a national initiative to address two leading causes of premature death and disability -- obesity and tobacco use. Boston was the only city in Massachusetts to receive funding and one of only seven communities nationwide to get both grants - $6.4 million for obesity prevention and $6.1 million to reduce tobacco use, including connecting residents to tobacco-cessation services and creating smoke-free environments.

About $1 million of the $6.4 million for obesity prevention is being used to improve access to affordable produce in Roxbury, Mattapan, and Dorchester, which have higher rates of obesity -- at 40 percent, 33 percent, and 31 percent, respectively -- and chronic disease than the city as a whole. The plans include hiring and training up to 250 youths to work with The Food Project to build 400 backyard gardens in the three neighborhoods; transforming a vacant 10,000-square foot greenhouse in the heart of Roxbury into a community growing and education center; doubling the number of community plots in Dorchester, and expanding the Nightingale Garden in Dorchester by 65,000 square-feet so that stretches across 1.5 acres.

Besides the gardening initiatives, the $6.4 million obesity prevention grant will be used to: * Decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages through counter-advertising and policy change * Increase active transit through bike share programs and land-use policies * Enhance the integration of high-quality and frequent physical activity and education into the school day

The city's progress on achieving the goals of the grants are being monitored by a high-level leadership team, headed by Mayor Menino and consisting of representatives from the public and private sector, whose institutions will likely play a critical role in the implementation of policy changes. The 20-member leadership team includes Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson; Dr. Gary Gottlieb, CEO of Partners Healthcare; Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University; Carol Fulp, vice president of community relations at John Hancock Financial Services; Walter Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health; Dr. Paula Johnson, chair of the Boston Public Health Commission's Board of Health; Thomas J. Tinlin, commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department, and John Palmieri, who heads the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

2008 Employee Awards

Soda-Free Summer Challenge 2010

Drinking soda can slow you down by causing weight gain and health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. Join Boston's soda-free summer challenge and re-energize your life! Go to http://www.facebook.com/HealthyBoston or call 617-534-5690 to take the pledge and enter a weekly raffle.

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