Besityratesareup, Friedfoodsandsugary Drinksarethenorm, Andfruitsandvegeta- Bles Aremissing From

MassinMotion:StatewidePolicyInitiatives

HelpingResidentsEatBetterwithExecutiveOrder509

besityratesareup, friedfoodsandsugary drinksarethenorm, andfruitsandvegeta- bles aremissing from

manypeople’splates.Massachu- settsresidentsareinneed ofa change,andthestateishelping toleadtheway.“Tellingpeople to eat morefruitsandvegetablesis onething,butthestateistaking

itonestepfurther,” saysNutrition CoordinatorCynthiaBayerlofthe Massachusetts Departmentof PublicHealth(DPH).

GovernorPatrick’sExecutive Order509 (EO509),Establish- ingNutritionStandardsforFood Purchased andServed byState Agencies, requiresstateagen- cies whichprovidefoodaspart oftheirclientandpatient ser- vicestofollowspecificnutrition standardswhenpurchasingand servingfoodsandbeverages.

DPHformedanAdvisoryWork- groupanddevelopedadraftof thenutritionstandardsbasedon thoseofNewYorkCityandthe

2005DietaryGuidelinesforAmeri- cans. Abaselinesurveyofover

60 stateagenciesidentifiednine agenciesthat wouldbeimpacted bythepolicy.TheWorkgroup

invitedrepresentativesfromthose agenciestoparticipateandhelp finalizethestandards.

Impacted agenciesinclude:

»Dept.ofChildrenandFamilies

»Dept.ofCorrections

»Dept.ofDevelopmental

Services

»Dept.ofMentalHealth

»Dept.ofYouthServices

»Dept.ofVeteranServices

»ExecutiveOfficeofElderAffairs

»PublicHealthHospitals

»TheSheriff’sDepartment

Thecollaborationbetweenthe Workgroupandthenineagencies ledtoarealization that several

ofthestandardswouldbedif- ficultforstateagenciestomeet. TheWorkgrouprespondedto theseissues bydevelopingonline resourcesdirectingagencies

tohelpfulwebsitesandvideos; creating factsheetsused totrain employeesontopics likeserving healthyfoodsanddrinksandre- ducingsodium; anddevelopingan onlinecourseforpreparing and servinghealthyfoodswiththe JohnStalker Institute atFraming- hamStateUniversity.

Massachusettsisthefirststateto successfullylaunchastate-wide

foodprocurementpolicy.“Some clients dependonstateagencies forfoodanddrinks–theyshould havetheoptiontomake healthy choicesforthemselves,”states Bayerl.Several stateagencies,in- cludingtheWorcester andTaunton StateHospitalsandtheDepart- ment ofChildrenandFamilies,are alreadymakingbigchangesto

thefoodstheyprepareandserve clients.These changesinclude:

»Eliminatingsaturatedandtrans fats frombreads anddesserts

»Replacingsalt shakerswith

Mrs.Dash oncafeteriatrays

»Replacingwhiterice,breads andpastaswithwholegrains

»Usingmostlyfresh fruitsand vegetables

»Offering1% milkwithallmeals

»Offeringlower-sugarcerealsto kids

»Removingsoda fromyouth shelters

Overthirteen hundred employ- eeshavecompletedthetraining course.Asprofessionals from other statesseekguidance in developingtheirownfoodprocure- ment policies, DPHlooksforward tohelpingthem andmanymore Massachusettsstateagencies offerclients andpatientseasier access tohealthyfoods.

Contact:ProjectCoordinatorCynthiaBayerl,RD,MS,

MassinMotionisgenerously supportedby:BlueCrossBlueShieldofMassachusetts, theBlueCrossBlueShieldofMassachusettsFoundation,theBostonFoundation,the HarvardPilgrimHealthFoundation,theMassachusettsDepartmentofPublicHealth,the MetroWestCommunityHealthCareFoundation,andtheTuftsHealthPlanFoundation.