STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

September 2005

Bridging Distance, Building the Movement: Taking Action Web Forum and Call to Action

On August 23rd, Strategic Alliance’s interactive Taking Action Web Forum engaged at least 75 people representing approximately 50 sites across the State. The interactive technology allowed for more voices to be heard, and resulted in a lively and informative dialogue around opportunities for moving forward a policy and environmental change agenda. The Forum shared information about the Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition, and Obesity and served as an organizing opportunity to come together across the state on Strategic Alliance’s Taking Action Recommendations both for the Governor’s Summit and beyond. A PDF of the Web Forum Taking Action Slide Presentation can be found on www.eatbettermovemore.org under “What’s New”. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming web-forums!

The momentum for change continues to grow. Here are specific actions you and your coalition can take starting now!

1. Endorse the Taking Action Recommendations! And encourage others to as well, especially your local government bodies. Visit www.eatbettermovemore.org under “What’s New” for the Taking Action Toolkit including a presentation you can use to present Taking Action for endorsement and a model resolution for local governing bodies.
2. Prioritize one local environmental change for advocacy efforts
3. Engage local government. Urge local government to endorse the Taking Action Recommendations and to engage in organizational practice change
4. Support statewide policy efforts to improve eating and activity environments
5. Participate in Media Advocacy
1. Request the media toolkit and engage in media outreach for the Governor’s Summit. Contact Sana, sana@preventioninstitute.com, to receive the toolkit
2. Join the Rapid Response Media Network (see below for more details)
6.  Keep expanding the Network of supporters. Encourage your colleagues to join the Strategic Alliance.

Update: Governor's Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity to feature celebrities and “unparalleled public and private sector initiatives”

The Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition, and Obesity will be held as an invitation-only event on September 15th in Sacramento.  According to a recent Press Advisory the event was developed as an "Action Summit." The Governor has called upon First Lady Maria Shriver, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and leading experts in the areas of public health, transportation and education, among others, to come prepared to announce unparalleled public and private sector initiatives that will focus in particular on the social and environmental determinants of obesity and provide Californians new opportunities to eat healthy and engage in regular activity. Featured celebrities expected at the event include Dr. Phil, Cookie Monster, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Alice Waters.

Announcing two new initiatives from the Strategic Alliance: Local Policy Tracking & Rapid Response Media Network

The Strategic Alliance is pleased to announce two new ways that Strategic Alliance members can help build the movement.

Local Policy Tracking will collect and track local nutrition and physical activity promoting policies. This will be the first searchable database cataloguing local policies in California and select policies from other states. Similar efforts in alcohol and tobacco have been proven to be quite successful in positively impacting a broader population than targeted within the particular policy’s reach. You can make a significant contribution to this effort by sharing examples of local policies with our staff (manal@preventioninstitute.org).

Rapid Response Media Networkoffers an exciting opportunity to engage with local media and insert the environmental and policy perspective on nutrition and physical activity promotion into the public discourse. As a member of the Network, you will receive guidance for crafting letters to the editor, op-eds and other interactions with the media. Strategic Alliance will generate and distribute talking points and framing analysis to guide responses to major news stories/industry actions and the like. Media coverage shapes not only the public’s opinion but also that of policy makers; by joining the Network you can ensure that the importance of working on improving environments for nutrition and physical activity receives prominent coverage. Please contact Sana to take advantage of this opportunity to highlight the important work that you are doing while also shaping the public discourse on eating and activity. (sana@preventioninstitute.org)

IN THE NEWS

American Beverage Association Announces Voluntary Policy

On Wednesday, August 17th, the American Beverage Association announced a voluntary school beverage policy (http://www.ameribev.org/schools/vending_policy.asp). The Strategic Alliance responded by issuing talking points to help shape the response to the announcement. Strategic Alliance Steering Committee member Lisa Craypo, of Samuels and Associates was interviewed by CBS national news on Wednesday, Aug. 17 about the story. You can view the story by visiting http://www.calendow.org/.

Federal Transportation Reauthorization is Complete

Californians who use roads or public transit to commute, shop, recreate, attend school or run errands can expect to see plenty of orange in the months and years ahead, as the federal government has finalized a multiyear transportation funding package that will jump-start a panoply of road and transit projects intended to relief congestion and stimulate the economy.  As of July 28, the Senate and House of Representatives have both agreed to a $286.5 billion transportation bill that, if signed by President Bush, will fund thousands of highway, transit, and non-motorized transportation projects.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

California Legislature Votes to Limit School Junk Food Sales (K-12)

The California Assembly voted 42-22 to pass legislation (SB 12, Escutia) on August 31st establishing the most rigorous nutrition standards in the country for foods sold on school campuses K-12. If the legislators continue their leadership and pass SB 965 later this week, banning soda on high school campuses, California will have made the most impressive gains in school nutrition since school lunch was introduced after World War II. After SB 12 gains a concurrence vote in the Senate and is signed by the Governor, the standards will go into effect on July 1, 2007. Read a summary of SB 12, the full text of the legislation, and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy's press release about the bill's passage.

RESOURCES

Child Overweight Rates on the Risein California Assembly Districts

A study released by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) shows that the epidemic of overweight children in California continues to grow. The epidemic points to two of the most serious public health problems facing California today: unhealthy diets and low levels of physical activity among our children. Findings are reported for each state Assembly district to provide policy makers and the general public with a clear picture of the extent to which this epidemic affects their communities. The study is available on the Center’s website. http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/policy_briefs/overweight2004.html

New Fact Sheet Available on Preventing Childhood Obesity

UPCOMING EVENTS

Prevention Institute, the coordinator of Strategic Alliance, is hiring!

We are looking for people to join our growing team who have experience in and are committed to reducing health disparities through a focus on prevention. For more information visit http://www.preventioninstitute.org/jobs.html

“It’s Home Grown:  Cultivating the Roots of Real Change”
Atlanta, GA, October 6-9, 2005

The Community Food Security Coalition celebrates its 9th Annual Community Food Security Conference with a “Home Grown” theme in Atlanta, GA at the Westin Peachtree Plaza on October 6th thru 9th, 2005. CFSC brings this educational and empowering event to the home of the civil rights movement, with the intent of “cultivating the roots of real change” in food security and social justice. For more information or to register, visit: www.foodsecurity.org

Introducing the Healthy Parks, Healthy Communities (HPHC) project

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 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.

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