SUPPORTING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES:
CALIFORNIA NUTRITION ADVOCATES CALL FOR CRITICAL POLICY CHANGES TO HELP PREVENT RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE

Contact: Michele Simon or Leslie Mikkelsen, Prevention Institute: 510-444-7738.

OAKLAND, August 20, 2003 - A coalition of leading California nutrition advocates is calling on policymakers, employers, and educators to help create the right environments for people to make healthier choices to prevent heart disease.

They say that the studies released today showing that close to 90 percent of people with heart disease have preventable risk factors should really be no surprise, given the challenges most people face in their day to day lives.

"We applaud these studies for confirming what we've long suspected: that heart disease is indeed preventable in the overwhelming majority of cases," says Leslie Mikkelsen, registered dietitian with Prevention Institute. "Three of the four risk factors identified by the study (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes) can all be addressed by healthier eating and being more physically active, but it's not just about personal responsibility. It is society's responsibility to ensure that healthy eating and physical activity is as easy as watching TV and eating chips. Right now, people don't have access to healthy foods and regular opportunities for exercise. We are all bombarded by the marketing of unhealthy foods throughout the day, at work and in our neighborhoods, so of course it's challenging; people need more support," says Mikkelsen."

The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments, a coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates in California, recommends the following policies:

Industry: "Current marketing practices, particularly aimed at children, encourage overeating of high fat, high cholesterol, and high calorie foods. Television advertising, product promotions, and huge portion sizes all make it difficult for people to make healthy choices," says Dr. Sarah Samuels, co-founder of the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments and a nutrition policy researcher. Marketing of unhealthy foods aimed at children should be eliminated.

Schools: "Schools need to provide model environments for our children," says Lisa Craypo, school nutrition policy expert. "Schools need to provide healthy foods and promote physical activity." Schools should eliminate the sale of high cholesterol, high fat, and high sugar food from their campuses.

Government Leadership: Government has a strong leadership role to play in setting policies that make it easier for people to make healthy choices. For example, government officials can ensure that healthy food is sold on public grounds and that government offices are easy to commute to by walking or biking. "The government should set the standard and serve as a model for the rest of the state when it comes to creating supportive environments for California residents," says Harold Goldstein, of the Center for Public Health Advocacy.

Worksites: For many adults, time spent at work represents a significant portion of waking hours. According to a study by the California Department of Health Services in 1997, 59 percent of surveyed adults named the difficulty of obtaining fruits and vegetables at the workplace as the most frequent barrier to eating those foods. "Employers could be doing a better job making sure their workers stay healthy by providing nutritious foods at meetings and allowing for physical activity breaks in the middle of the day," says Samuels.

Neighborhoods: A recent study from Los Angeles demonstrated that grocery stores in low-income areas sold less healthy foods than those in more affluent areas. "We know that certain people of color are at higher risk for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, so it's critical to address this glaring disparity in access to healthy foods in our communities," says Mikkelsen.

For more information on the Strategic Alliance, visit: eatbettermovemore.org.

To arrange for an interview with Prevention Institute, call Michele Simon at: 510-444-7738.

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