Brown med student honored for weight-loss program

PROVIDENCE—A Brown University medical student who works to combat obesity among Rhode Islanders is being recognized with a national award.

Rajiv Kumar is one of 10 people being honored Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with a Community Health Leader award. The award recognizes people who work to improve the health
and quality of life of their peers.

Kumar founded Shape Up RI, a team-based program that encourages Rhode Island residents to lose weight through exercise and healthy eating. Nearly 35,000 people have participated in the program in
the last four years.