According to the Federal Trade Commission(FTC), food marketing expenditures are declining. However, self regulation of food marketing does not appear to be doing much to limit the exposure that children have to advertisements for unhealthy foods. A 2012 report published by the FTC shows that while television ads aimed at children have decreased, other avenues such as internet ads and cell phone marketing have increased, and are being utilized as less costly and more interactive strategies to reach children. ...
Children aspire to be like celebrities. Therefore, when celebrities like Beyoncé sign a $50 Million endorsement deal with Pepsi Co., concerns are raised as to what effects these advertisements may have on children. Should restrictions be placed on companies marketing junk food to children? Dr. Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at NYU, says that companies who produce junk food products, "deliberately market their products to low-income, minority ...
In 2013, HB 525 and SB 392 were introduced as companion bills to encourage the adoption of shared use (joint use) agreements in Florida and to promote physical activity during non-school time. Because taxpayer money is used to operate schools, legislators argue that facilities should be available to the public during after school hours. Along with most other states across the country, obesity and lack of physical activity are increasingly a problem among children in Florida. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than half of the children across the country have access to parks, sidewalks, or recreation centers. In order to create more places for play, Rep. Jake Raburn (R-Valrico) sponsored HB 525 (2013) to keep school playgrounds open during after ...
Residents living on the Westside of the city of Ventura needed park space. Only three parks existed in their community and only 1.5 acres of park space was available per 1,000 residents who lived there. After several months of working with city officials, local residents finally convinced the City of Ventura to purchase a 2.4 acre lot which will be used to develop a park for the community. Plans for the park are being developed and now residents are working to make sure that city officials will see the development of this project through to completion. According to a blog post from the City Project, on February 4, 2013 the Ventura City Council unanimously agreed to purchase property for the development of a new park. Members from the community attended the meeting where they showed their ...
In 2001, Mayor Rick Baker of St. Petersburg Florida started The Play 'N' Close to Home initiative, with the intent of making playgrounds available within 1/2 mile of every child in St. Petersburg, Florida. Pinellas County entered shared use agreements and developed new playgrounds to increase the amount of play space and now 75% of children in St. Petersburg have a playground located less that 1/2 a mile away from where they live. According to a KaBoom success story, before the Play N' Close to Home initiative, only 49% of residents under the age of 18 lived within half a mile of a playground. Mayor Baker stood fully committed to ensuring that Play 'n' Close to Home was enacted and to ensure proper implementation he assigned high-level staff to gather support from key partners ...
According to a February 2013 article from the Bradenton Herald, Manatee County Commissioner Michael Gallen announced that all 33 elementary schools in Manatee county would be open to the public during non-school hours. A committee comprised of school board members and county officials made the decision to leave school playgrounds open. School board members said that they would speak to principals to implement this new policy and address any concerns they might have. According to the Bradenton Herald, Gallen has been proactive about finding safe places of recreation for the community to use during after school hours. He says that although school playgrounds are considered open space under the county's comprehensive plan, it is still up to each principal to open the playground up to ...
The thought of a soda tax is nothing new in Vermont. In February 2013, H.B. 234, a bill that would place a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, was re-introduced to the Vermont legislature. Half of the revenue from the proposed tax will fund the Vermont Healthy Weight Initiative Fund, and the second half will fund the State Health Care Resources Fund. The Alliance for a Healthier Vermont was a big supporter of the effort, circulating fact sheets and other resources to the community. On March 22, the Vermont soda tax was narrowly defeated in the state's house ways and means committee. The panel voted 6-5 against a 1-cent per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened ...
South Carolina wants to take the lead among states in the battle against obesity by allowing only healthy foods to be purchased with SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps. Gov. Nikki Haley on Thursday, February 21 2013 joined leaders of three state agencies to announce plans to seek a waiver from the federal government to change the food stamp program. South Carolina has the eighth highest rate of obesity among states. Various public stake holders and political leaders are meeting to discuss the best way to ensure SNAP benefits are not used to purchase junk like chips and soda. The waiver request will grow out of what state leaders hear in those meetings. A public poll showed that more people support SNAP limits in South Carolina than are against them. No state has been grained ...
Parent organization Real Food for Kids (RFFK) aims to improve the nutritional quality of food served at the public schools in Fairfax County, Va. These parents want all students to get healthy, fresh food that will fuel their bodies for physical and educational performance. As stated on their website: “We know, just as you do, that when a child is well-fed with nutritious, real food, he/she is healthier, better behaved and better able to succeed in and out of the classroom.” By doing research and educating themselves, they discovered the volume and breadth of processed foods and foods with artificial dyes and additives being served at their schools, even though these foods were allowed by USDA nutrition guidelines for school lunches. The parent group advocated for a new ...
