STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

March 2004

Welcome to the latest update from the Strategic Alliance. In this issue, we highlight:

• The launch of the Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT)
• The upcoming ENACT Advocacy day on March 24th and our legislative priorities for 2004
• A special Strategic Alliance event with Dr. Larry Frank on the connection between community design, land use and physical activity
• The CDC's release of the year 2000's actual causes of death
• And much more. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions for future issues, and urge you to visit the website, www.eatbettermovemore.org, on a regular basis.

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE UPDATES

Provide Your Voice and Help Build Momentum for Local Policy Change through the Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT)

The Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT) presents a menu of options for local change based on best practices drawn from community efforts around the county. ENACT can be the cornerstone for policy change and can be used with a broad range of partners. We learned from issues like tobacco control, violence and HIV prevention, that local policy bubbles up and helps to shape national norms. ENACT has been designed with this fact in mind.

But we need your help to make the tool more effective and tailor it to meet local needs. We wish to highlight priority areas for action within each environment, based on wide input, and connect the actions people prioritize with case studies and others resources to make change a reality. To help us prioritize actions and activities, please visit the Strategic Alliance website: http://www.eatbettermovemore.org/enact.html

Announcing ENACT 2004: Nutrition and Activity Advocacy Day, Wednesday March 24 in Sacramento

The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments is pleased to announce ENACT 2004: Nutrition and Physical Activity Advocacy Day scheduled for Wednesday, March 24 in Sacramento. The event will offer participants practical skills for encouraging policy changes that can result in meaningful opportunities for people to eat better and move more. The day's activities will include advocacy training, lunch and the opportunity to visit your legislator.

For logistics and other information and to register for this free event, visit the ENACT web site at www.cfpa.net/ENACT2004.htm or contact Jessica at CFPA at (415) 777-4422 x129 or jreich@cfpa.net.

Save the date: Friday, April 16, 10 AM-12 PM in Oakland for a Special Event with Dr. Larry Frank

Dr. Larry Frank will present on the connection between community design, land use and physical activity. Please join Strategic Alliance members to discuss implications for policy efforts.

Dr. Frank is one of the leading authorities on the relationship between the built environment and public health. He was recently named to the Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Urban Transportation Systems in the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia. He specializes in the interaction between land use, travel behavior, air quality, and public health.

The event will take place at:
Oakland City Hall
Frank Ogawa Plaza
14th Street and Broadway
Hearing Room 4, 2nd floor
Please RSVP to Jasmine @ 510-444-7738 or jasmine@preventioninstitute.org

Moving from Commitment to Action: Strategic Alliance Legislative Priorities 2004

You could feel the excitement in the air at each of the Strategic Alliance's 5 regional policy meetings. From Fresno to Los Angeles and in between, each of the over 200 participants engaged in frank and lively discussions about the changes that need to take place in order to transform California's eating and activity environments. The meetings greatly benefited from the diverse array of attendees -- from Parks & Rec to physicians to local community activists, no one was shy about telling us what they really thought. As a statewide coalition, meeting so many members throughout the state gave us a renewed sense of purpose, and the understanding that change is achievable.

We are proud of the work we have done together and hope that you are too. If you were unable to attend the meetings, the full report is available on the Alliance website: www.eatbettermovemore.org, under What's New. The Strategic Alliance selected legislative priorities for 2004 based on the input from the regional meetings and by analyzing current legislative opportunities.

The Alliance will continue to work on behalf of our members to advance the health and well-being of all Californians, particularly those living in low-income neighborhoods. The regional meetings have prepared us to channel your commitment into action, we are pleased to present our legislative priorities for 2004, which will also be the focus of the ENACT Advocacy Day:

1. Improving the nutritional quality of school lunches: Over 3 million kids in California eat lunch served through the National School Lunch Program. Improvements in the National School Lunch program could be accomplished by: (1) drawing upon federal resources to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables served as part of school meals; (2) making sure school lunch entrees don't exceed the total amount of fat or saturated fat allowed for the whole meal; and (3) helping parents, students, and community members get involved in their school meal program. For more information, visit www.cfpa.net/legislation/2004/2004legislativetracking.htm

2. Extending Funds for the Safe Routes to School Program: Since 1999, $20-25 million per year in Federal funding has been available to California through the CalTrans Local Assistance Program which provides funding to local public works departments for improve walk-ability and bike-ability for students and community members. The program that makes this funding stream possible will end in January 2005 unless a new mandate extends, or re-authorizes the funding. Renewal of the Safe Routes to School legislation is a pragmatic way to increase walking and biking in communities while bringing federal dollars to our State. For more information, visit www.transact.org/ca/

3. Implementing Nutrition standards for all schools K-12 and state subsidized programs including day care, after-school and preschool: Nutrition standards for food sold on school campuses were established in SB19 and signed into law in 2001. However, the provisions in SB19 remain unimplemented. This legislative priority would require that the standards outlined in SB19 be met in the following children's environments:
1. K-12 public schools campuses for all "competitive foods"
2. State subsidized daycare, preschools, Head Start programs
3. State subsidized after-school programs
4. State supported community centers / parks and recreation facilities

For more information, visit: publichealthadvocacy.org

California Center for Public Health Advocacy releases "An Early Warning Sign: Diabetes Deaths in California Legislative Districts"

The California Center for Public Health Advocacy, a Strategic Alliance Steering Committee member, has released a report providing district-specific data on diabetes death rates and age of death, and childhood overweight and fitness levels for each legislative district in California. The report cites considerable variation in diabetes-related death rates among legislative districts, noting that districts that have higher diabetes-related death rates also tend to have a higher prevalence of overweight and unfit children. Other findings include:

• Legislative districts in three regions -- Los Angeles County, the Central Valley, and southwest San Bernardino County -- have the highest diabetes-related death rates.
• Three racial/ethnic groups -- African Americans, Latinos and American Indians/Alaska Natives -- have the highest burden of diabetes-related deaths.
• The diabetes-related death rate in California increased every year from 1996 to 2000.

IN THE NEWS

Kids Don't Fare Well Eating Out: New report asks, "What would you like with your fries?"

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released a new study showing that children's meals at sit-down restaurants are often worse than fast food. CSPI surveyed 20 of the biggest restaurants offering kid's menus and conducted independent laboratory analyses of common menu items at 7 restaurants. Findings revealed that kids' meals often had more than the daily allowance of saturated and trans fats and more than half of the daily caloric intake in a single meal. One notable culprit was Outback Steakhouse's Boomerang Cheese Burger with fries, which tipped the scales at a whopping 840 calories and 31 grams of saturated and trans fats (the equivalent of an adult-sized sirloin steak + a filet mignon + three pats of butter!).

Although The National Restaurant Association called the survey "another stale and worn-out attempt by CSPI to sensationalize an issue," the fact remains that all children's restaurant meals should be healthy and nutritious. To read CSPI' full report, go to cspinet.org/new/pdf/kidsrestfood.pdf

Kaiser Family Foundation Releases New Report on Role of Media in Childhood Obesity

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a report on the role media plays in childhood obesity. Examining over 40 studies on the role of media, the report concludes that children who spend the most time with media are more likely to be overweight. Report findings include:

• The majority of research does link the amount of time children spend watching TV with their body weight.
• Interventions that reduce children's media time also result in weight loss.
• Media does not seem to displace time spent on physical activity. Rather, there may be other factors related to media use that are contributing to weight gain, including intensity of food advertising aimed at children.
• Many studies indicate that exposure to food advertising and marketing may be influencing children's food choices. Food ads can also contribute to confusion among children about the relative health benefits of certain foods.

The report also offers a number of policy options, noting that media can also be an effective tool to promote healthy behaviors. Policy options include: reducing or regulating food ads targeted to children, expanding public education campaigns to promote healthy eating and exercise, incorporating messages about healthy eating into TV storylines, and supporting interventions to reduce the time children spend with media.

The report is available online at: www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia022404pkg.cfm

New Study Shows Cars, TV a Recipe for Fat

A new study reveals that Americans spend 9 times as much time glued to their television sets as they do engaging in physical activity. Only 19 minutes a day are spent on leisure time physical activity, compared to 170 daily minutes watching TV or movies and 101 daily minutes sitting a car. The study's co-author explains that this should be a wake-up call to us all, "A lot of people aren't fully aware of how sedentary their lives are... as a population, leisure-time activities are at the bottom of the priority list."

Although the study represents a snapshot in time, the authors explain that the results are indicative not only of the fact that people in general are busier than they were 20 years ago, but also points to potential environmental discrepancies between the desire to be physically active and the safe space in which to be active. The study will be published later this month in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

OF SPECIAL INTEREST

McDonald's Says Farewell to Supersized Fries and Sodas

McDonald's, the originator of the phrase "super size it," will phase out its supersized fries and drinks by the end of the year as part of their "Eat Smart, Be Active" initiative. However, as a recent letter to the New York Times pointed out, the size of McDonald's large fries today are in fact larger then the Supersized fries of 5 years ago. So while they may be eliminating supersizing, they have not yet eliminated too large portions.

McDonald's recently received some unwelcome attention in the form of an award-winning, documentary film called Super Size Me, in which the filmmaker chronicles the deterioration of his health that resulted from eating only McDonald's for an entire month. A McDonald's spokesman stated that the move to abandon supersizing has nothing "whatsoever" to do with the attention the film has garnered. Super Size Me is scheduled for nationwide released in the spring.

NEWS THAT WORRIES US

On March 10th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, on the actual causes of death in the United States for the year 2000 (JAMA. 2004;291:1238-1245). According to the results, poor diet and physical inactivity are poised to overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death by 2005. The total deaths in 2000 attributable to poor diet and inactivity is 400,000 (up from 300,000 in 1990). The deaths attributable to tobacco are 435,000 (up from 400,000 in 1990). What was the government's response to this dire news? On March 10th, the House of Representatives passed a bill, the so-called "cheese burger bill" protecting fast food companies from lawsuits that claim that fast food is in part responsible for the obesity epidemic. A veritable "get out of jail free card," fast food companies have once against succeeded in protecting themselves, and the billions of advertising dollars they spend yearly promoting their merchandise. The question now becomes who is going to protect the American public?

UPCOMING ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES

Provide Input for the Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research

The Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research provides a guide for coordinating obesity research activities across the National Institutes of Health and for the development of new research priorities. Public comment is being sought to inform the planning process, and you have until April 2 to provide feedback. For more information and to review the Strategic Plan, visit obesityresearch.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan.htm. Email your comments to obesityplanNIH@mail.nih.gov

Super Size Me Screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival, April 15-29

Visit www.sffs.org/fest04/index.html for screening date and time. Visit supersizeme.com to learn more about the movie.

Grant Application: Carol M. White Physical Education Program

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program provides grants to initiate, expand, or improve physical education programs, including after-school programs, for students in one or more grades from kindergarten through 12th grade in order to help students make progress toward meeting State standards for physical education. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 22, 2004. Additional information is available online at: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2004-1/020404b.html

California Community Food Security Summit: Los Angeles, June 10-11, 2004

This statewide summit is being organized by the California Food and Justice Coalition (CFJC), in partnership with the national Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). The Summit will feature a mix of networking, education and campaign building events, with a focus on CFJC's four focus areas: 1) improved coordination for state action on food security, 2) improved access to healthy foods, 3) support for community-based food security projects, and 4) connecting healthy farms and healthy students.

Contact Heather Fenney at 310-822-5410 or heather@foodsecurity.org to learn how you or your organization can get involved or for additional information.

Community Forum on Food Security and Nutrition: Berkeley, April 1, 6-8:30 PM

What is food security? How can we improve food security, and who is already working in our community to do so? Attend a lively discussion focusing on the specific interventions these groups are making, what are their successes and their challenges, and ways the Slow Food community can support and partner with their efforts and engage with panelists from Alameda County Community Food Bank, Berkeley Youth Alternatives, and Jardiniere and Acme Chophouse restaurants. A policy update will be provided by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock's office on recent and upcoming food security-related legislation. Light food will be served. Cost will be $20, and includes a donation to the participating organizations. Berkeley Youth Alternatives (BYA): 1255 Allston Way in Berkeley.

RESOURCES

New Webcast from the American Public Health Association-The Obesity and Diabetes Epidemic: The State of the Science and the Challenge to Public Health

Review the latest research findings and evidence-based interventions and policies aimed at reducing the interrelated burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes through a new Webcast aimed at physicians, nurses, and other professionals working in public health.

You can access the webcast at www.medscape.com/viewprogram/2903

Role of Fast Food in Obesity Epidemic

The debate around the evidence, or lack of evidence, tying fast food restaurants to obesity, is still running strong. We've included some article citations on the Strategic Alliance website that examine the connections between specific food intake and obesity (these articles have not been reviewed by the Strategic Alliance). The citations are available in the resources section of the website, under General Resources.

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 Project LEAN, California WIC Association, Child Care Food Program Roundtable, Latino Health Access, Prevention Institute, and Samuels & Associates.

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, 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 and The California Wellness Foundation.

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