The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) proposal is being reintroduced to help invest in better nutrition and more physical education for schools as well as create healthier communities in Illinois. The proposal was put into motion in Springfield, Ill, in May 2016, by the bipartisan group of state legislators looking to help fund Medicaid and invest in the health of their communities. Estimated to raise over six million dollars a year, the HEAL act would tax sugary drinks at a penny-per-ounce and go to support low-income and least healthy communities to have farmers markets, healthy food access, bike lanes, parks, and sidewalks.
CEO of the Illinois Public Health Institute and Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity said in a press release, "Obesity costs the ...
The south is a place well-known for deep fried foods, but now Natchez-Adams school district cafeterias in Miss. are ditching the deep fryers. The districts are working to have healthier options in their schools and increase physical activity breaks among the district, by replacing fryers with steamers, learning new ways to cook healthy foods, and opting to have more fitness breaks outside for students. The district's Public Relations Coordinator, Steven Richardson, said in a local news story that the schools are working on highlighting healthy living amongst students. The child nutrition supervisor, Shantoura Spears, also explained that the funding for the fryers has been paid through grants the school has been receiving and have helped the schools replace them with healthier ...
Many parents are unaware of the marketing kids see in their schools about food. Many times, kids are marketed unhealthy food options as large food companies sponsor school activities and events.
What does it teach kids when the products are featured in the halls, cafeterias, vending machines and athletic fields are the same ones that their teachers and parents tell them are not good for their health?
The UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity has created a set of presentations to help advocates inform their communities on how unhealthy marketing practices contribute to an epidemic of poor diet among youth, and what communities can do to help ensure that their children grow up at a healthy weight.
Among these resources is a downloadable presentation on "Food Marketing in ...
Soda tax considerations in cities are growing in interest across the nation and in other countries around the world. Watsonville, a majority Latino community (81.9% Latino), is working on their own proposals in California, hoping to encourage other small town minority-majority cities, that if they can pass taxes on sugary drinks, any small-town city has a chance. Groups and organizations in the city are all working together to rally voters and get petitions signed that would propose a 2-cent-per-ounce sugary beverage tax. Christian Garcia, one of the organizers, gathered over 2,000 signatures from voters who were "very receptive" for the taxes, Garcia explained in a local video, stating how groups went door-to-door to collect signatures from around the city. Garcia and his ...
The Mayor of Evanston, Elizabeth Tisdahl along with the local health department officials, kicked off the "Rethink Your Drink" challenge today, which encourages consumers to think about the sugar content in the beverages they consume on a daily basis. The goal of the campaign is to help people understand the importance of drinking more water and less sugary sweetened beverages as research has shown brings greater risks to consumers for heart disease, type two diabetes, and obesity. Health and Human Services Director, Evonda Thomas-Smith, doctors and local cardiologist Timothy Sanborn were among those encouraging citizens to drinks more water, and pledge to consider drinking only water for the next thirty days. Officials also passed out pledge cards and asked all attending to ...
The partnership good4growth is working to help connect parents and caregivers to resources and tips to help their children grow up healthier through creative play, healthy snacks, and a caring environment. Their goal is to help all children get the very best start in life and have asked all who know a child in their life to take the 7 Day Connect Challenge. The 7 Day Connect Challenge asks people to connect with a child in their life and promote healthier, smarter kids for seven days and spread the message! Thier site also gives valuable toolkits and a Talk with a Doc area that builds education on how to help kids in all areas of life to grow up healthier. Learn more about the importance of creative play, healthy food and a caring environment on their ...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has newly released a toolkit for those in urban agriculture or looking to be an agri-business entrepreneur. The opportunities in agri-business help drive job growth in agriculture and expand food access and choice which is vital to Latino communities in need of healthy food access in urban and rural areas. The toolkit is an electronic document that helps urban and small farms navigate more than 70 resources including tech assistance and financing opportunities. Baltimore organizations have added resources into the toolkit including "How-To' guides and law project manuals. To learn more, click here! To access the Toolkit, click here! Copy & Share on Twitter: Attention all #urbanfarm #entrepreneurs, need resources? See the new @USDA ...
Thirsty? May is the month of free giveaways of water and reusable water bottles from San Antonio Water System (SAWS) asking the city to 'Rethink your Drink' with water! Kicking off the National Drinking Water Week happening from May 1st to May 7th, SAWS will be giving away free water and water bottles at various locations around the city. The SAWS water tanker will be giving out free water in the following locations: Where SAWS water tanker will be (approximately 2 hours at each location)*:
Tuesday, May 3 (noontime): The Pearl, near the Pearl Stable and The Area Foundation
Wednesday, May 4 (3-5pm): UTSA Main Campus, near the UC and H-E-B Business building
Thursday, May 5 (7-9am): Woodlawn Lake, near the walking trail
Thursday, May 5 (noontime): TriPoint YMCA at Mulberry ...
Westford Elementary school is working with Fresh Start Food Gardens and Circle Health to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into the diets of their students, promoting healthy eating with a "seed to stomach" process. The partnership has helped bring in two raised beds for school gardens that have let students plant seeds and harvest their own plants, learning how to care for the produce they will consume in the coming months. The students at Crisafulli Elementary School will also get to enjoy new garden beds for planting as well. Christine Berthold, one of the creators of Fresh Start Food Gardens explained in the local news article that kids who grow their own vegetables are more apt to eat them and she thinks that it will be great for the kids to be a part of the entire growing ...
