Save the date—2nd Strategic Alliance Web Forum, January 18, 2006

Following the success of our first web forum in August, we invite you to participate in our second forum, which will build on the accomplishments and momentum generated by the Governor's Summit. The interactive web forum, scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2006 from 9:30–11:00 a.m., will allow Strategic Alliance members to share information about exciting local action and policy as well hear about upcoming statewide policy actions. Stay tuned for more information in our next newsletter.

Shasta County Board of Supervisors Show Support for the Governor’s Vision

In September of this year, Shasta Country Department of Public Health worked with the governing bodies of their four local jurisdictions—Shasta County, Anderson, Redding, and Shasta Lake City—to adopt the Governor’s Vision for a Healthy California.   “We wanted show support [for the Governor’s Summit and] and advertise for an upcoming event we were doing around 5 A Day.”, commented Marta McKenzie, R.D., M.P.H., Public Health Director for the Shasta County Department of Public Health.  Many of the recommendations in the Vision directly reflect Strategic Alliance’s Taking Action for a Healthier California platform . 

City of  Berkeley Endorses Taking Action for a Healthier California

Berkeley City Council joined San Francisco in officially endorsing Strategic Alliance's Taking Action for a Healthier California. The resolution builds on the City's longstanding efforts to improve eating and activity environments and directs City staff to begin direct implementation of two specific recommendations:

1) “Ensure that a significant percentage of prepared and vending
machine foods sold at worksites are healthy and affordable;” and

2) “Encourage physical activity through such practices as encouraging stairway use, providing bike racks, providing lockers and showers, and offering flextime or breaks for physical activity.” 

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting: Evidence-Based Policy & Practice
This year’s APHA conference will take place on December 10-14, 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Information on presentations by Strategic Alliance members are available on our website.

Sarah Samuels, Strategic Alliance Steering Committee member, to receive Catherine Cowell Award at APHA

Sarah Samuels, DrPH, President of Samuels & Associates and a founding member of the Strategic Alliance, will be receiving the Catherine Cowell Award at this year’s American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Sponsored by the Food & Nutrition section, the Catherine Cowell Award recognizes excellence and achievement in administration, planning, mentoring, and team building in public health nutrition, including meeting the special needs of urban populations and young children.  Catherine Cowell was the director of the Bureau of Nutrition in New York City for her entire career.  She has been an inspiration to many in the field because of her tireless dedication to eliminating hunger and bringing adequate nutrition and healthy foods to vulnerable populations in low-income, inner-city neighborhoods. Sarah is very honored to be receiving this award in Catherine Cowell’s name.   If you are attending APHA, come by to help celebrate on Sunday, December 11, at 6:30pm, in Room 107B in the Convention Center. 

IOM Releases Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released the report Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? on December 6th at a public hearing in Washington D.C.   The report is

"the most comprehensive review ever undertaken on the influence of food marketing on the diets of children" according to committee chair Dr. J Michael McGinnis. The key findings confirmed that there is strong evidence that TV advertising of foods and beverages has a direct influence on what children choose to eat and that such advertising is primarily for products high in calories and low in nutrients.For more information on the report of to listen to the webcast of the briefing, go to http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=31330

Food Med 2005: The First Conference on Healthy Food in Health Care is a Success!

Health facilities are beginning to sit up and take notice of the links between food production, processing and distribution, and human health.   On November 17th, 270 participants from the health and environmental sectors gathered in Oakland, California for the first-ever conference on healthy foods in heath care.

Those from the health sector included medical professionals, nutritional food service managers, and others involved or interested in the purchasing and incorporation of sustainable foods into their facilities. Some came to share their successes of starting on-site farmer’s markets, developing relationships with local farms to incorporate local and seasonal foods into hospital menus, and other sustainable food practices.  Others came to hear the success stories and learn more about what it means to establish sustainable food practices from the many experts in health, the environment, and sustainable agriculture. 

The success of the Food Med conference represents the growing awareness among the health care sector on how important it is for hospitals to model proper nutrition by adopting food purchasing practices that promote fresh and nutritious foods.  The accessibility of sustainable food at health facilities not only benefits patients, staff, visitors, and those in the surrounding community, but can ultimately influence how food is produced in the United States by promoting a shift away from industrial agriculture and unhealthy food.  Hospitals and other health care facilities can play a key role in paving the road for redefining “healthy food”. For more information on FoodMed please visit http://www.foodmed.org.

Leslie Mikkelsen of Prevention Institute Makes Guest Appearance on The Beyond Organic Show

Leslie Mikkelsen of Prevention Institute served as a guest on The Beyond Organic show on November 30th.  The topic of the program is “Junk Food in Hospitals?”   The Beyond Organic Show is an environmental radio and multimedia program, addressing issues of organic food and farming, social and environmental sustainability.  Leslie Mikkelsen spoke about Prevention Institute’s work with Health Care Without Harm on educating those working in health facilities and institutions, about effects of the industrialize food system on health and one the importance of a sustainable food system to promote overall health and nutrition. 

Other guest included Dr. Preston Maring, Associate Physician-in Chief at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland and founder of the Kaiser farmers market, and Michael Raciti, Food and Nutrition Services Manager  at Dominican Hospital and Garden Manager of the hospital’s on-site garden.  To listen to the show, go to www.beyondorganic.com.

Legislative Update – Comments Needed!

The California Department of Education's Nutrition Services Division will soon post proposed emergency regulations to implement SB 281, the California Fresh Start Pilot Program, which provides $18.2 million for the purchase of fruits and vegetables for the School Breakfast Program. The regulations will be considered by the State Board of Education during its January 2006 meeting and, once adopted, will allow the pilot to begin.

Strong regulations are needed to make the most of SB 281. If properly implemented, SB 281 will improve both the nutrition quality and appeal of school breakfast and boost participation from the state’s current low rate of 16 percent. Strategic Alliance members are urged to read the proposed regulations and submit their comments to the State Board of Education. Visit www.cde.ca.gov to download the regulations (which should be available the week of December 12) or email jreich@cfpa.net to sign up to receive CFPA’s Nutrition Action Alert, which will provide an analysis of the regulations and instructions for how to submit comments to the State Board of Education.

RESOURCES

The Prevention Communication Research Database (PCRD)

PCRD, a project of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is a searchable collection of audience research conducted or sponsored by HHS agencies. Not intended to be a comprehensive collection of prevention communication research, PCRD is designed to provide access to research findings that may not be widely known or distributed. Making the research available may provide program planners and health communication specialists with insight into different audiences in relation to key prevention issues such as physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco use, and substance abuse. Search reports by prevention topic, audience, research methodology, other search criteria, and keyword or view all reports at  http://www.health.gov/communication/

UPCOMING EVENTS

5th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities
January 26-28, 2006, Denver, Colorado

The 2006 national, multidisciplinary conference will build on the tremendous success of the first four annual New Partners for Smart Growth conferences. The program will feature cutting-edge smart-growth issues, the latest research, implementation tools and strategies, successful case studies, interactive learning experiences, new partners, new projects, and new policies. Additional information and registration forms available at: www.newpartners.org.

WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE?

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity away from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility. Current Steering Committee members are: California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program (CANFit), California Center for Public Health Advocacy, California Food Policy Advocates, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Parks and Recreation Society, California Project LEAN, California WIC Association, Child Care Food Program Roundtable, Latino Health Access, Prevention Institute, Samuels & Associates and YMCA of the East Bay.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

The Strategic Alliance is currently engaged in building a broad and diverse statewide membership. To join or for more information, please visit us on the Web, www.eatbettermovemore.org, or contact Sana Chehimi at 510.444.7738 or Sana@preventioninstitute.org. And even if you're already a member, please forward this message on to your colleagues so we can continue to strengthen our coalition. Thank you!

The Strategic Alliance is supported by funding from The California Endowment.

The Strategic Alliance, is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity--from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle, towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility.

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