STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

October 2003

Welcome to the latest update from the Strategic Alliance. In this issue, we highlight a new poll on public support for prevention research and policy, the Strategic Alliance success with the California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act, and an upcoming November 3rd Strategic Alliance membership L.A. meeting focused on policy. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions for future issues.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Save the Date!

Strategic Alliance Membership Meeting
Building Momentum for Change: Local and State Policy
November 3, 10 AM - 12 noon, Los Angeles

The Strategic Alliance is sponsoring a series of membership meetings this fall to provide updates about Alliance activities, discuss local policy, and help shape the Strategic Alliance 2004 State Legislative Platform. The first meeting will be held in Los Angeles. We invite all members to attend and provide input into the State legislative agenda for next year, as well as local community policy needs. Meetings in November/December are tentatively planned for Orange County, San Diego, Fresno, Bay Area, and Northern California. Details will be posted soon on our website: www.eatbettermovemore.org. For more information, please call Manal Aboelata, 323-296-5750.

Walk/Bike 2003 Conference
October 15-18, Oakland Marriott City Center

The Strategic Alliance will be presenting at the first ever Walk / Bike 2003 Conference, sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition and the City of Oakland, in association with California Walks. This world-class event will highlight walking and bicycling's ability to enhance health, relieve congestion, stimulate economic activity, increase transit use, and create safer and healthier communities throughout California and the western United States. Featured speakers and presenters will include state legislators, government agency representatives, planners and engineers, public health promoters, and pedestrian and bicyclist advocates. For more information and to register, visit: www.walkbikecalifornia.net/conference.asp.

NEWS WE CAN USE

Californians Support Increased Funding For Prevention

A report issued September 24th by the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments and Research!America shows that Californians favor candidates who support increased funding for research to prevent disease. The poll shows that 87 percent of Californians support community initiatives that make physical activity easier. Ninety-one percent support public efforts to make school environments healthier. "As a nation we have never invested adequately in prevention, which saves lives, reduces suffering, and saves money," said Larry Cohen, Executive Director of Prevention Institute and co-founder of the Strategic Alliance. For further poll results, visit www.preventioninstitute.org/pdf/CAPollReport.pdf

Television Ads for Junk Food Encourage Children to Eat Unhealthily

While the link has long been suspected, researchers at the University of Strathclyde recently analyzed over 30,000 pieces of research to show that TV ads are having an effect on children's preferences, purchase behavior, and consumption. Most ads for food targeted at children were for sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, sweets, fast foods, and other snacks. The Food Standards Agency (www.foodstandards.gov.uk) called for a public debate to discuss the findings. The complete article can be found at news.bbc.co.uk/2/health/3136118.stm.

Segways Recalled For Power Problems

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Segway LLC has recalled all 6,000 of its human transporters sold since March 2002 because of a falling hazard. Apparently, when the batteries on the Segway Human Transporter begin to run low, there may not be enough power to keep the machines upright. On a Segway Human Transporter, the rider stands between two wheels, one on each side, and travels up to 12.5 miles an hour. Citizens have voiced concerns about the dangers of using Segways on sidewalks. For further information on Segways, visit our website at www.preventioninstitute.org/segway.html, or for the complete article on the recall, visit money.cnn.com/2003/09/26/pf/autos/segway_recall/.

Health and the Built Environment: AJPH September Issue

The September American Journal of Public Health features a special issue on the connections between health and the built environment. Articles provide evidence and practical examples about ways to alter the environment to improve eating and activity behaviors. Headlines include: Land Use Planning and the Control of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Fast Food Restaurants, Local Ordinances That Promote Physical Activity, and Promoting Safe Walking and Biking to School: The Marin County Success Story. For more information on the American Journal of Public Health and the American Public Health Association, go to www.ajph.org.

Cheeseburger and Fries in One

In response to declining American beef consumption, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association has developed "Cheeseburger Fries": made of a breaded, deep-fried meat-and cheese compound that tastes like a cheeseburger. Each fry has about 75 calories and four grams of fat. A version is being made available to public school cafeterias. Betty Hogan, director of new product development for the association, says, "The challenge is getting people to think of other ways to eat beef." For the full article visit newyorktimes.com, and look in the September 23rd archives.

POLICY UPDATE

California Bans School Soda Sales

Strategic Alliance members scored a huge victory with California Gov. Gray Davis' signing of the Senate Bill 677. SB 677 sets nutritional standards for all beverages sold to students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools, starting July 1, 2004. This law will effectively ban sodas from public school campuses, and permit only the sale of healthy beverages: water, milk, and fruit based drinks with no less than 50% fruit juice and no added sweeteners. Additionally, the Governor announced that he will sign SB 65; an important measure ensuring parents are informed about school contracts for unhealthy foods and beverages and that they have opportunities to provide input during the decision making process. For more information, visit www.publichealthadvocacy.org/legislation/legislation_2003.html and losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2003/09/15/daily51.html.

USDA Calls For Public Comments on Revisions to the Food Guide Pyramid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling for public comments on revisions to the Food Guide Pyramid, which was originally developed in 1992 to help Americans implement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The proposed daily food intake patterns have been updated to meet new nutritional standards. There has been some suggestion by Senator Peter Fitzgerald that relations between food producers and the Agriculture Department have skewed the government's nutritional guidelines (see chicagotribune.com, October 1st). Fitzgerald cited news reports that many scientists on the 13-member committee that is working on a revision of the Agriculture Department's guidelines have been paid as consultants for food industry groups with an interest in the outcome. The current food pyramid, he said, "does more to promote the interests of grain and sugar producers than to promote the good health of ordinary Americans." For more information, visit the USDA's website at www.cnpp.usda.gov. Written comments can be submitted on or before October 27, 2003 to:
Food Guide Pyramid Reassessment Team
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1034
Alexandria, VA 22302

RESOURCES

CSPI Health Kit

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has developed a new School Foods Tool Kit to help parents, health professionals, community groups, teachers, and school administrators to improve the nutritional quality of the meals, snacks, and drinks available to the students. The Tool Kit includes model policies, fact sheets, advice about how to influence school decision makers, and sample letters. It is available online (for no charge) at: www.cspinet.org/schoolfoods.

Project LEAN Guide to Community Action

California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition) developed this guide to help individuals or groups trying to combat school district soft drink contracts. The guide provides an array of resources that can be utilized when discussing school district policy on soda and other sugary drinks with parents, students, community members, and school decision-makers. It also includes fact sheets on youth soda consumption, commercial implications of school soda contracts, and more. For a free online version visit www.californiaprojectlean.org/consumer/takingfiz.html.

Why Most Children Aren't Walking or Biking Anymore

On September 10th, 2003, the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, and the Latin Issues Forum released "Can You Give Me a Ride Mom? The Decline of Children's Independent Mobility in California." This report discusses how issues ranging from community design and land use planning to safety and air pollution have converged to result in decreased activity and walking among today's children and youth and makes the connection to public health impacts. Look for the report at: www.transact.org/ca/.

Schoolhouse Commercialism Remains Firmly Entrenched As Opposition Grows

"No Student Left Unsold," the sixth annual report on schoolhouse commercialism trends released Friday, October 3rd, by the Education Policy Studies Laboratory, finds that commercial activity remains firmly entrenched in American public schools. Simultaneously, opposition from citizens appears to be growing, and state legislators are taking notice. The report found that corporately sponsored educational materials were up 313% from the 2001-02 school year, and the use of commercial products or services as rewards for achieving an academic goal was up by 87%. The report also found an increasingly vocal resistance to commercial activity, reflected both in citizen action and the introduction of legislation seeking to reign in such activity. This article can be found at: www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPSL-0309-107-CERU.html.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

Managing Diabetes Across Diverse Communities
November 6-7, Sheraton San Diego Hotel

The Whittier Institute For Diabetes is sponsoring the Diabetes Summit 2003 in San Diego. The conference is intended for those working in the field of diabetes management, care or education, and aims to bring together colleagues from throughout California to share the best practices for multicultural diabetes care and education. Speakers will include the U.S. Surgeon General, and Bob Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment. A limited number of scholarships are available. For registration information contact Anna Garay at 858-626-5663 or garay.ann@scrippshealth.org.

Save the Date!

3rd Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities
January 22-24, 2004, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower Hotel

Strategic Alliance is proud to be a co-sponsor of this exciting and important event. The program will feature cutting-edge smart growth issues, the latest research, implementation tools and strategies, successful case studies, new partners, new projects and new policies. For updated conference and registration information, visit: www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/SmartGrowth/.

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 Leslie Mikkelsen at 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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