"offer healthier choices"

Framingham, Hudson and Marlborough are participating in a regional collaborative with implications for other communities like Franklin. Reporting on the results of a study done for the three communities that was presented at a meeting recently, the Milford Daily News writes in part:

Fenton said studies of the three communities show that 19 percent of adults are obese, 77 percent consume fewer than the five recommended servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and 19 percent report leading completely sedentary lifestyles. 

Fenton said that towns and cities can make changes that are shown to encourage more active and healthy lifestyles for residents, but he noted that the solution can’t just be a stop-gap. 

“Simply telling people to exercise more is not enough,” he said. “What we have to do is build a system where healthy choices are the new normal.”

Fenton said there are several changes leaders can make to build communities where people are more active, like encouraging mixed-use developments that mix housing with commercial enterprises. If people live within walking distance to a business, for example, they are less likely to drive there, he said.

Read more: MetroWest towns, cities can make healthy choices - Franklin, MA - Wicked Local Franklin http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1222854678/MetroWest-towns-cities-can-make-healthy-choices#ixzz1xBxtawgA