STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

January 2005

Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Strategic Alliance. In this issue, we highlight the Alliance’s first ever journalism award, recommendations for healthy eating and physical activity, and the Governor’s budget for nutrition and physical activity.

1st Ever journalism award from the alliance!

January 11th -- California Childhood Obesity Conference, San Diego

At a lunchtime ceremony, Lisa Craypo of the Strategic Alliance Steering Committee announced the winners of the Strategic Alliance’s first Excellence in Nutrition and Physical Activity Reporting Award. Julie Sevrens Lyons of the San Jose Mercury News and the Orange County Register received the award for their comprehensive coverage of nutrition and physical activity and for contributing to the understanding of both the public and decision-makers that addressing these issues requires environmental and policy level solutions. Ms. Lyons was joined on stage by her nominator, Holly Weber of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Lisa Liddane and Cathy Lawhon accepted the award for the Orange County Register, and were joined by Dr. Troy Jacobs of the County of Orange Health Care Agency, Dolores Barrett of the Orange County Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (NuPAC) / Community Action Partnership, and Jeannie Kim-Han of Project ALISA (Active Living in Santa Ana). For more information, please visit the What’s New section.

Taking Action For A Healthier California

Taking Action for a Healthier California: Recommendations to Improve Healthy Food and Activity Options was shared at the membership meeting during the California Childhood Obesity Conference! The recommendations have been sent to the leadership of the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Department of Health Services. The recommendations are designed to inform the Governor’s Obesity Prevention Summit and function as a catalyst for community action on both the local and state level. Strategic Alliance members please send your comments about the recommendations and share your ideas about using them as an organizing tool in California. Send to Jasmine Syedullah at jasmine@preventioninstitute.org.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Budget Includes $6 Million For Obesity Prevention

The Strategic Alliance applauds the Governor’s commitment to prevention by earmarking $6 million in general funds to support nutrition and physical activity. The administration proposes a comprehensive framework to support healthy school environments, planning and design of healthy communities, workplace changes, and access to obesity prevention and intervention services. The proposed funding will support coordination by California’s Department of Health Services and support community-based projects for environmental change in schools, workplaces and restaurants, comprehensive employee wellness initiatives, and efforts by Medi-Cal managed care to increase prevention screening and treatment for overweight and at-risk-for-overweight children. Regrettably, the proposed $1.2 billion cut in health and social programs may adversely affect the same populations bearing the greatest burden of disease from poor nutrition and physical inactivity. For more information on the state budget, please visit the following links:
http://www.lchc.org/documents/FY2005-06JanuaryBudget_000.pdf
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/11/MNG5NAODFP1.DTL

"What we have now are fragmentary programs that are federally funded, but we don't have a coherent effort. We're not absolutely sure which of the interventions are going to work best. In every sense of the word, this is a good investment."
- Richard Jackson, California Public Health Officer, commenting on the proposed $6 million. Orange County Register, January 13, 2005.

IN THE NEWS

Momentum Building for Statewide School Nutrition Policy
Momentum is building for getting healthier food into California schools. Today in his State of Education Address, Superintendent Jack O’Connell announced his support for a ban on soft drink sales at high schools during the school day. A recent newspaper article noted that Governor Schwarzenegger called “…it ‘ludicrous’ that schools are lined with vending machines selling soft drinks and candy, [and said] fatty food is ‘destroying our kids.’“ (San Francisco Chronicle, January 15, 2005). The legislature will be considering statewide school nutrition policy in the form of Senate Bill 12, introduced by Senator Marta Escutia. The "Healthy School Now!" (SB12) legislation would establish nutrition standards for schools limiting access to the sale of high fat, high sugar foods on California public school campuses.

Kaiser Permanente Promotes Farmers’ Markets
The largest healthcare provider is leading the healthcare industry by promoting farmers’ markets. Kaiser Permanente is going beyond providing healthcare to promoting health for its staff and the neighborhoods where it is located. Loel Solomon, Ph.D., Kaiser's national director of community health initiatives, says the fresh produce program gives the organization a chance to serve not only as healthcare provider but health promoter. "Prevention isn't just something that happens in the doctor's office ...Our members cannot be healthy if the communities they live in are not healthy." To read the full article, please visit http://www.healthleaders.com/magazine/feature1.php?contentid=61349&referring_friend=132759.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest released new Guidelines for Marketing to Children
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released new Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children. The guidelines call on food manufacturers, broadcasters, restaurants, movie studios, and schools to reform the way drinks, snacks, fast-food meals, and other foods are marketed to kids. To access the report, please visit http://www.cspinet.org/new/200501051.html.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Save the Date! Healthy Cities & Smart Growth: Planning for Healthier Communities, Berkeley, CA: April 21-22, 2005
The conference themes include: the built environment and health; community growth and change; community livability and social equity; and resource development. For more information and registration, please visit http://www.civicpartnerships.org/default.asp?id=315#Registration.

Save the Date! ENACT: Nutrition and Activity Day, Sacramento, CA: Thursday, April 28, 2005
The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food & Activity Environments, the California State PTA and the California Park and Recreation Society are co-sponsoring the third annual ENACT: Nutrition and Activity Day on Thursday, April 28, 2005. On this day, parents, health professionals, community advocates, students, educators and others concerned about nutrition and physical activity will gather in Sacramento to meet with legislators about policy solutions to the obesity epidemic. You can register online by visiting http://www.cfpa.net/ENACT2005/registration.htm, or for more information, contact Jessica at 415-777-4422 x129 or jreich@cfpa.net.

RESOURCES

2004 County by County Profiles on hunger and nutrition
California Food Policy Advocates has released county profiles which include data on eligibility and participation for school lunch, food stamps, summer meals and CACFP, as well as a series of nutrition and health indicators. Among the key findings: due to low participation and the 1,400-plus schools that don't offer school breakfast, California turns away more than $437 million in federal school breakfast funding each year. Given the nutrition problems in your community, we can't afford to lose any nutrition funding, much less resources of this magnitude. To download your county's profile, please visit www.cfpa.net/press/press_page.htm.

Portion Distortion Interactive Quiz
Check to see if you know how today's portions compare to the portions available 20 years ago, by quizzing yourself on Portion Distortion I (2003) and Portion Distortion II (2004). You will also learn about the amount of physical activity required to burn off the extra calories provided by today's portions. Access the quiz through hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/index.htm.

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, eatbettermovemore.org, or contact Karen Khamou at 510.444.7738 or karen@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.

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