Expert talks fitness, nutrition, crime with Lynn city leaders

LYNN – Childhood obesity is not a singular epidemic; it is a twin epidemic of physical inactivity and poor nutrition, but according to Mark Fenton, a well-designed community can combat the problem.Sponsored by Mass. in Motion and the Lynn Food and Fitness Alliance, Fenton spoke to a group of roughly 50 city leaders on how to build a community that supports a healthier lifestyle. He is a national public health, planning and transportation consultant who strives to bring physical activity back into community life.View photos of the visitFenton asked those gathered for the meeting to think back to their childhood and name the first physical activity they remember fondly. Responses included flashlight tag, figure skating and playing in a neighborhood pond. He then pointed out that none of the activities were scheduled, required an adult, umpire or referee, uniforms or even a group of gender- or age-specific kids.”We were free-range kids,” he said. “We could take off on a Saturday morning and not come back until 6 p.m. when mom said to be home for dinner.”When one woman argued that it isn’t safe to do that today, Fenton pointed out a study that shows the increase in crimes against children between 1969 and 2001 was zero.In contrast, the number of estimated deaths per year due to physical inactivity and poor nutrition is upwards of 400,000, he said.According to Fenton children should be physically active 60 minutes per day and adults at least 30 minutes per day. But he was quick to add that it doesn’t have to include going to the gym or a scheduled play date.Meeting the daily requirement could be as simple as walking to and from a bus stop or riding a bike or walking to school and that is where a well-designed community comes into play, he explained.Connected sidewalks, striped roadways for bicycles, parks scattered throughout the city rather than one centralized recreation center all add to a fitter city because it makes it easier for people to get around, he said. Fenton said someone might argue that they would never use a bike lane, but that doesn’t matter because someone else will. One person riding a bike on a transportation trail results in one less car on the road, a smaller carbon footprint for the cyclist and lower healthcare costs for everyone, he said.When it came to better nutrition, Fenton said people need to think “urban agriculture,” which includes community gardens, composting, backyard chickens and farmers markets. It could also mean regulating fast food restaurants, he added.According to Fenton, L.A. County no longer allows fast food restaurants to come into its communities.”They decided they had enough,” he said. “If you’re asked if that’s appropriate, no one would question not putting a liquor store next to an elementary school. It’s the same thing, a matter of public safety and health.”Fenton recommended that the community dwell on that when it implements its waterfront plan, which he encouraged city officials to do because it includes pedestrian corridors and a bike trail connected to the downtown.He also reminded them that community health is not about big events and handing out water bottles and T-shirts, it’s about “creating a community that makes it easy to have free-range kids.”City Health Agent Maryann O’Connor said she hoped the presentation would spark a conversation and a real commitment by city leaders to make positive changes.”If we can get a conversation going, we can get down to business,” she said.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].