Dewick on a Thursday night is a dangerous place. The Belgian waffle makers sit beckoning. The pizza glistens. On top of all that, it's sundae night. So how do Tufts students eat so indulgently without blowing up?
There is a simple explanation: at Tufts, walking is the best - if not the only - way to get around, even if it means going around the hill instead of over it.
The University of Utah recently published a study showing that obesity rates are lower in more walking-friendly neighborhoods. That's something to keep in mind when there are 10 minutes to get from Halligan to Olin and the Memorial steps are slick with ice. Or when you live downhill and getting anywhere is a hike.
"I do like walking around campus. Sometimes it's inconvenient because you have to walk far," said junior Kevin Anglin, who lives off-campus.
"It's scenic, and it puts me in a good mood," he added.
Sophomore Adam Fried agreed. "I'm content to walk. I don't mind [the hill] but when it's icy it can be tricky," he said.
For those who disagree, though, there aren't many other options. Campus is not known for being car-friendly and parking is limited. As Fried explained, even if he were to park somewhere near an academic building, he would end up walking to it anyway.
"I think it's most convenient to have a bike because you can pretty much put it anywhere," Anglin said.
Sophomore Sophia Kostelanetz disagreed, saying that biking on campus might be the worst option: "Every once in a while [I see someone biking uphill] and I feel so bad for them. It looks so painful!"
Aside from the lack of convenient alternatives, the safety of the Medford campus plays a role in walking popularity. According to Raymond Hyatt, an assistant professor of medical sociology at the Friedman School of Nutrition, safety is one of the most important determinants of how inclined people are to walk. According to the most recent Tufts Police crime statistics, only one on-campus assault occurred in 2004.
There are several components to walking safety: sidewalks and lit paths are important, and perceptions of safety also play a role. "We don't actually have to know that a crime was committed in an area, we just have to have the perception that it's unsafe," Hyatt said, noting that "these are things public policy can address."
Public policy that encourages health through walking and safety is not far from Tufts. Since 2002, Assistant Professor Christina Economos has been heading the Shape Up Somerville project, which includes making walking routes to school safer, increasing awareness about obesity among physicians and nurses, and recently kicking off a 5K walk.
According to Jessica Collins, director of the Somerville Health Agenda, these changes are welcome and prominent. "Somerville is very walkable in general but there is a lot of traffic because we're a cut-through city [for Boston commuters]," she said.
To fix the problem, a task force has been funded to improve high traffic intersections. "There's a lot here going on to try to increase physical activity and healthy eating," Collins added. She explained that more than 25 percent of Somerville's early elementary school youth are considered overweight and another 15 percent are considered at risk, putting Somerville higher than the national average. (About 15 percent of urban children, nationally, are considered overweight, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Jumbos are comparatively fitness aware. Hyatt praised the leaders of the school, particularly President Bacow, for setting a good example by running the Boston Marathon.
"It's not just words, it's really putting your money where you mouth is - or in this case, his feet. He's out there running with students, being a role model for fitness. That sort of filters down into a general policy framework," Hyatt said.
For many, though, walking may be the only exercise they get. Health Services Nutritionist Pat Engel sees many students for whom walking is their main form of exercise.
"Very few students have consistent time to go to a gym or to plan a structured [exercise]," Engel said. "Some people who live uphill go to Dewick, but some just go to Carmichael," she said.
Of course, even after choosing to walk and improve fitness, some students' frustration outweighs their attention to the health benefits of walking: "I think we should blow up the hill and make a flat campus," Anglin said.
