STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

April 2003

Welcome to the monthly update from the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments ("Strategic Alliance"). In this issue, we highlight the upcoming Lobby Day on May 1 in Sacramento. Please share this information with your colleagues to help ensure a big turnout. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future issues.

CALIFORNIA OBESITY CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

A sellout crowd of 1,300 attended the California Obesity Conference on January 6-8, organized by the Department of Health Services, including two special sessions sponsored by the Strategic Alliance. The Strategic Alliance-sponsored Tuesday keynote address featured a very provocative and thoughtful presentation by Andrea Margolis, Consultant to the California Legislature's Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Leslie Mikkelsen of Prevention Institute opened the plenary by summarizing the Strategic Alliance analysis of environmental influences on the obesity pandemic, and a quick overview of policies that are needed to change these toxic influences. The Tuesday plenary was in marked contrast to what seemed to be the official federal view, enunciated by both Surgeon General Richard Carmona on Monday and USDA Under Secretary Eric Bost on Wednesday, that urging individual behavior change will continue to be this Administration's kingpin strategy for combating child obesity. Hundreds of attendees found out more about community advocacy to change food and activity environments at the Strategic Alliance "mini-plenary" featuring Alliance members CANFit, the Center for Public Health Advocacy, Project LEAN, and Dr. Antronette Yancey's Center for Physical Activity Promotion and Obesity Prevention and Control at UCLA.

Conference organizers pledged to provide all speaker outlines and PowerPoint presentations via the UC Berkeley Center for Weight and Health Website, so keep checking back at: nature.berkeley.edu/cwh/resources/conferencemenu.shtml.

DON'T MISS IT!

May 1 is ENACT 2003: Nutrition and Activity Lobby Day

Join the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments to lobby for improved access to healthy food and activity at the state capital. Parents, students, teachers, health care providers, business leaders, and all others are welcome! Never lobbied before? Not a problem! The day starts at 10am with a training session where you'll learn how, and includes a rally at 11:30 on the steps of the Capitol with Senator Tom Torlakson and other legislative leaders, and visits with your legislators. For more information, including a list of bills, please visit www.cfpa.net/ENACT/ENACT%202003.htm for details. To register, be sure to contact Jessica Reich at 415.777.4422 x129 or jreich@cfpa.net.

NEWS WE CAN USE

Watch Less, Walk More

A recent study found that to prevent obesity and type II diabetes, women should watch fewer than 10 hours of television a week and go on brisk walks 30 minutes a day.
Source: www.msnbc.com/news/897411.asp

Shameless Sugar Industry

If you thought that news of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry striking a deal with Coca Cola was bad enough, now the entire US sugar industry can take its rightful place in the Hall of Shame. Apparently the Sugar Association is displeased with the World Health Organization's (WHO) forthcoming recommendation that sugar account for no more than 10 percent of a healthy diet, which sounds rather generous to us. But the Sugar Association is all up in arms, demanding that Congress end WHO's funding unless they scrap the report. (Industry insists that a quarter of our food and drink intake can "safely" consist of sugar.) WHO insiders describe the threats as blackmail, worse than any pressure exerted by the tobacco lobby. Major food industry groups are also asking US Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson to use his influence to get the WHO report withdrawn. Stay tuned!
Source: The Guardian, April 21, 2003

UPCOMING CONFERENCE

The Local Government Commission presents...
Planning and Building More Livable Communities Conference
June 27 - 28, 2003, U.S. Grant Hotel - San Diego, CA

California's population is expected to grow significantly in the near future -- putting additional pressure on our water supplies, agricultural land, open space, air quality, housing supplies, transportation system, energy supplies, public health and safety, as well as other resources. Converging visions of California are coming from many different sectors, all pointing in the direction of more sustainable development patterns. Come and learn how to help make California a wonderful place to live, work and play. Prevention Institute's executive director, Larry Cohen, is scheduled to speak. For more information, please contact Michele Kelso at 916-448-1198 ext. 308 or mkelso@lgc.org or visit: lgc.digitalgear.com/events1/index.tpl.

WALKING THE TALK

Did you know that walking to speak with a coworker rather than sending an email message could result in expending over a pound of energy per year?
Source: Nielsen Media Research, 2000

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 Michele Simon at Michele@preventioninstitute.org or call 510.444.7738.

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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