BPS Recognized for Programs Tackling Obesity

Earlier this month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) recognized two Boston Public Schools and the city's Food Service Department won 'Best in Region' in their Jump Up and Go! Healthy Choices awards. The Jump Up and Go! awards recognize schools that have been outstanding in their achievements to promote physical activity, better eating choices, and healthy behaviors in children.

"Children growing up learn most of their information in two places: at home and at school," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "In the schools we teach them about nutrition, the importance of eating right and encourage them to take this knowledge home. I thank Blue Cross Blue Shield for recognizing Boston as a leader when it comes to tackling obesity."

The Washington Irving Middle School in Roslindale was named the Best All-Around Jump Up and Go! Healthy Choices School for the Boston region and will receive $2,500. The Sarah Greenwood Middle School in Dorchester was recognized for implementing Planet Health, an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on improving the health and well-being of middle school students. The Boston Public Schools Food Service Department was selected for changing school policy to promote healthy eating and active living. The Sarah Greenwood Middle School and Boston Public Schools Food Service Department will each receive awards of $500.

Administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and funded through BCBSMA's Jump Up and Go! youth wellness initiatives, Healthy Choices grants total $9,000 over the course of a three-year-period and allow public middle schools to offer their students a comprehensive, effective and sustainable nutrition and physical activity program.

"Integrating school-based fitness and nutrition programs that fight childhood obesity with a school's educational goals is one of the biggest challenges facing educators," said Sylvia Stevens-Edouard, Senior Director of Community Relations for BCBSMA and coordinator of the Jump Up and Go! program. "Each of the 2005 Jump Up and Go! Healthy Choices Award winners deserve to be applauded for their excellence in integrating positive messages and effective programming about nutrition and physical activity into their curricula."

Jump Up and Go! is designed to help children, their families, and their communities become more physically active and develop lifelong healthy behaviors. This campaign was initiated in 1998, in response to data that indicated that children's participation in physical activity was in significant decline and childhood obesity was on the rise. By 2010, BCBSMA expects to have invested $10 million into Massachusetts communities through Jump Up and Go!

More information about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts can be found at www.bluecrossma.com. Headquartered in Boston, BCBSMA provides coverage to 2.8 million members. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.