STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

April 2004

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

• New field poll results demonstrating that Californians are concerned about childhood obesity and think that it deserves a community approach,
• A reportback from ENACT Advocacy Day 2004 including legislative updates,
• Findings from a series of portion size studies that we eat more if there is more food in front of us,
• 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

New field poll results: Californians feel reducing obesity requires a community approach

Results of a survey have important implications for advocates for healthy eating and activity environments. According to the Field Research Corporation study, funded by The California Endowment, nearly all Californians believe the problem of childhood obesity is serious, and eight in ten think the problem has worsened. Results demonstrated strong support among Californians for a community approach to the problem, such asimprovements in school health environments and fast food restaurant nutrition labeling, rather than leaving it solely to children and their families. A striking number of residents rated their neighborhood only fair to poor in providing opportunities for healthy eating and activity for children. Health care providers were seen as having a leading role in spreading the word about obesity risks.

Key findings from the poll include:

• 92% consider the problem of obesity among children and teens to be serious
• 50% rate their own neighborhood as being only fair, poor or very poor as a place offering healthy foods for its children.
• 38% rate their own neighborhood as being only fair, poor or very poor when asked if their neighborhood is a place that offers opportunities for children to exercise and get physical activity.
• 53% of Californians believe that reducing childhood obesity requires a community approach, including healthy providers and community groups, rather than leaving it to children and their families.

For full survey results, click here.

Meeting reportback: Dr. Lawrence Frank addresses the connection between community design, land use and physical activity

Sponsored by Strategic Alliance and the Oakland Pedestrian Safety Project, Dr. Lawrence D. Frank, expert on the impact of the built environment on walking behavior spoke to a packed room of diverse participants -- from bike advocates to senior citizen activists to public health officials to nutrition and physical activity advocates to community residents and health professionals. Dr. Frank addressed the importance of neighborhood design and community perception in increasing walking and biking using data from his Atlanta based study of over 12,000 participants. Dr. Frank explained that study participants were on average 30% more likely to meet the daily minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity for each increase in the walkability index of their neighborhood. For more information on community design and physical activity, visit Active Living Research, which seeks to increase knowledge about active living by supporting research to identify environmental factors and policies with potential to substantially increase levels of physical activity among Americans of all ages, incomes and ethnic backgrounds.

ENACT 2004: Nutrition & Activity Advocacy Day a resounding success

More than 80 parents, nutritionists, public health professionals, health care providers, food banks and interested others joined together in Sacramento on March 24 to learn more about the importance of environmental solutions in the ongoing effort to improve nutrition and physical activity opportunities in California. Participants were able to develop talkingpoints on each of the Alliance's key legislative priorities, including re-authorization of Safe Routes to School, improving the nutritional quality of school lunches and implementing school nutrition standards for all food and beverages sold in schools for grades K-12. We are proud to announce that legislation on school nutrition standards and school nutritional quality both passed out of their respective Assembly Committees. We extend a warm thank you to everyone who contributed their time and energy to make ENACT 2004 a resounding success.

IN THE NEWS

Physicians need more nutrition education

Patients who are advised by their doctors to loose weight are nearly three times more likely to do so than patients who do not receive their doctor's advice. However, according to a recent CDC study, only 40% of physicians advised their obese patients to loose weight in 2000. Some doctors cited lack of formal training about obesity as the reason, pointing out that "Physicians in general are illiterate about nutrition." The need for physicians that are well versed in nutrition is particularly important from a prevention standpoint and the American public repeatedly cites physicians as their primary source of information on obesity is their physician.

The bigger the portions, the more we eat

A new series of studies reveals that the more food is on our plate, the more we eat, irrespective of actual hunger. According to Barbara Rolls, the head researcher and professor of Behavior Health at Penn State, "Portion size has been suggested to be one of the major culprits in the obesity epidemic."When served a regular portion of pasta, study participants consumed 399 calories. The same participants consumed 571 calories when served a portion that was 50% larger. And being a part of the "clean plate club" as children may not be the primary reason according to the research. Another culprit may be the trend towards eating out more and the food industry's emphasis on size versus quality. In fact portion sizes have grown dramatically in recent years. A typical muffin, for example, is over 300% the government recommended size. Researchers speculate that in order for portion sizes to decrease, there must be public demand that paying less for more calories is not in everyone's best interest; "It's up to us as consumers to let the industry know that we don't really want that much food, that we would rather have better quality." At the same time, we also need to demand that the cost of healthy foods be made more affordable for everyone.

OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Oakland community residents say "No Way" to proposed McDonald's

Demonstrating the strength of collective action, Oakland residents successfully prevented a McDonald's from opening in their neighborhood. The Greater Grand Lake Action Coalition formed in November 2003 when concerned residents first became aware that McDonald's was planning to erect its arches on the site of a longtime neighborhood hamburger stand. Citing the dangers of increased car traffic, pollution, and litter, not to mention the nutritional impacts of a fast food restaurant on the surrounding community, over 500 community residents attended a community meeting attended by city council members and representatives from the McDonald's corporation. So far, the residents seem to be winning the battle, city officials declared that the McDonald's application is on hold. You can learn more about the Greater Grand Lake Action Coalition and read related news stories by visiting greatergrandlake.org.

NEWS THAT WORRIES US

World Health Organization revises blueprint for tackling global obesity

In the February newsletter we expressed our concern over the food industry-backed government critique of the W.H.O global obesity blueprint. A revised draft indicates that the W.H.O. may in fact have succumbed to the US government's pressures, deleting a paragraph that urges states to offer incentives for the production, marketing and transport of fruits, veggies and other healthy produce. Activists cite the revision as an example of bowing to the pressure exerted by the US government and the powerful food industry. "The WHO caved into the United States and the junk food industry by deleting support for policies that promote the production and marketing of fruit, vegetables and legumes. The advertising and junk food industries should be happy because it doesn't encourage countries to ban junk food advertising to children," said the U.S.-based non-profit group Commercial Alert in a recent statement.

RESOURCES

How Cities Use Parks to Improve Public Health

People value the time they spend in city parks, whether walking a dog, playing basketball, or having a picnic. Along with these expected leisure amenities, parks can also provide measurable health benefits, from providing direct contact with nature and a cleaner environment, to opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. A telephone survey conducted for the American Public Health Association found that 75 percent of adults believe parks and recreation must play an important role in addressing America's obesity crisis. Because of the different ways people experience parks, cities need to provide all types, from neighborhood facilities to large natural areas. In fact, many of the health benefits described below can be best achieved through small-scale, readily accessible sites. A full reckoning of the benefits of parks will better inform public policy about parks and provide a useful public health tool.
http://www.planning.org/cpf/pdf/improvepublichealth.pdf

UPCOMING ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES

Lafayette: Walk and Talk Town Hall with State Senator Tom Torlakson, May 1st

Senator Torlakson will showcase this beautiful East Bay Regional Park District trail while inviting interested parties to take this opportunity to "walk and talk" about matters of interest. Participants are then invited to join in a panel discussion with Senator Torlakson and health care experts about fitness and nutrition. Contact Terry Leach, R.N., Esq. at TERRY.LEACH@SEN.CA.GOV for further details.

Oakland: AgriCultural Roots Fair, May 20-22

The 3rd Annual AgriCultural Roots Fair is a community event that celebrates and strengthens the connections of cultures to the land. The Fair features California's many agricultural and culinary traditions and has a strong emphasis on sustainability and health. This year we will feature a youth fair on May 20 and 21st, followed by a Saturday fair open to the public on the 22nd Come learn about new opportunities to get farm fresh produce in your community and gather information about healthy eating, school gardens, local farms and more. Visit www.sagecenter.org/agroots.htm for more information.

Oakland and Chino: Local Government Commission's workshops on developing smart growth zoning codes and land development regulations

These workshops will provide participants with tools to assist in either fine-tuning or completely revamping their zoning codes to create more livable communities. The dates for the workshops are as follows: