Connecticut would be the first State to consider a statewide soda tax if conversations continue. Cities like Berkely and Philadelphia have passed a tax and have already seen progress in terms of reducing soda consumption and improving funding for education and public health initiatives. For Connecticut, the conversation around soda taxes began back in 2014 when a Congressional representative from Connecticut proposed a national soda tax bill in the house of representatives, but the idea has come back up now as the bill was introduced by the state Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and Lawmakers on Tuesday, April 11th at a public hearing. According to local new source Fox 61 the tax would charge consumers of sugary drinks a penny -per ounce and exempt drinks that are ...
The newly released UConn Rudd Center Parents’ Attitudes Towards Food Marketing Report highlights parents’ views about food marketing to children and food self-industry regulation, and their support for policies to help encourage healthy eating for their children. The Rudd Center surveyed over 3,500 parents with children ages 2 to 17. Researchers used a cross-sectional sample of parents, including black, Hispanic, and low-income parents, and assessed changes from 2012 to 2015. Because we don't live in a bubble, building a culture of health requires a look at food companies' marketing practices. For example, baby food marketing to Latino parents does not align with expert opinion, and 90% of snack food ads push unhealthy options to Latino kids. according to two other reports by ...
Have you seen Pepsi's soda ad that it yanked after big public outrage? It shows a staged protest with good-looking multicultural crowd and model Kendall Jenner. Jenner gives a Pepsi to a police officer. He smiles, everyone's happy. Social justice delivered and police brutality solved—by soda. The ad sparked a storm of criticism, for some obvious reasons. Even scarier is that sugary drink marketers continues to exploit Latino and Black youth, and stir obesity issues in these groups, according to commentaries by Vox's Julia Belluz and The Washington Post's Michelle Singletary. Belluz writes: "The public health community has long argued that big soda’s targeting of African Americans and Latinos is exacerbating health problems in those communities. We now have a big ...
People care deeply about health; however, with so many complicated messages from health experts and contradicting messages from food manufacturers, as well as lack of access to affordable healthy food, it can be very difficult for families to make truly healthy choices. Latinos, in particular, face additional barriers to access healthy food, thus face higher rates of obesity and related chronic diseases. The City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) launched a new ¡Viva Health! Eat well, feel great. Come bien, sientete bien. campaign in March 2017 to target the biggest public health threats of this generation—obesity and diabetes. Obesity is linked to numerous burdensome chronic diseases and diminished quality of life, and diabetes can lead to blindness, ...
Health advocates hoping to raise an estimated $28.4 million per year from a soda tax in Multnomah County are working to gather around 25,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot. The tax would allow for an 18 cent tax for an average 12-ounce soda or 51 cents per liter of soda, with revenues helping to fund early childhood education, reading and literacy initiatives and school programs encouraging nutrition, physical education, school gardens and more. Health advocates like Michael Bloomberg are working together to get the initiative off the ground with seed funding. Also, the American Heart Association, who have helped pass similar policies across the nation have started a local advocacy group called,"Yes for Healthy Kids and Education Coalition" aiming to build support ...
Eating and drinking healthier can be a challenge, especially when dining out. Now, Panera Bread announced their series of sugary beverages that will show the nutritional information, calories, and amount of sugars for each beverage. The first national restaurant company to post calories and sugars in its beverages, Panera plans to continue improving transparency for their customers, as they were one of the first chains to post calories on menus in 2010. “We believe people deserve to know exactly what’s in their drink so they can make the best choice for their lifestyle,” said Sara Burnett, Director of Wellness, Panera Bread explained in their press release. “We know more and more guests are looking to reduce their added sugar consumption, and we’re providing an ...
Water isn't magic, but it can help you stay hydrated, control calories, and fuel muscles. But Latino kids don't drink enough water. In fact, Latino kids drink less plain water and more sugary drinks than white kids. That is according to research by Salud America!, a national Latino childhood obesity prevention network at UT Health San Antonio. That’s why we are spotlighting heroes who work hard to push water for Latino kids and families!
Praxina Guerra: 5th-Grader Gets Hydration Station in School
San Antonio fifth-grader Praxina Guerra and her mentor, Cathy Lopez, are true Salud Heroes when it comes to creating a healthy school environment. Praxina, spurred on by Lopez, joined the city's San Antonio Student Ambassador program and created a student club to encourage ...
To help decrease the increasing rates of obesity and ensure greater health for students in the Philippines, a congressman announced on Monday, March 13th, 2017 a Healthy Drinks bill for all public schools in the country. The act hopes to improve the diet of over 21 million students in the country where more than 46,000 public schools will have to limit, if not ban, the sales of soft drinks and energy drinks in schools. Ang Edukasyon, party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro explained to radio dzBB, that the World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged banning or limiting sugary drinks, and now that sugary beverages are so cheap in Filipino schools, it has become a popular drink of choice for students during recess time. However popular sugary drinks are for kids, they usually contain ...
Sugary drink taxes and other policy restrictions on sugary drinks are growing in popularity across the globe to help reduce sugar intake in order to decrease rising obesity levels. Now British Chancellor Philip Hammond announced a two-tier levy of 18 pounds on drinks that have five grams of sugar per 100ml and the higher 24-pound rate on those with more than eight grams per 100ml. The British Soft Drinks Association opposes the tax, but the Obesity Health Alliance supports the tax. The tax set to be implemented starting in April 2018 doesn't include milk or pure fruit juice drinks but does include some alcoholic drinks. A spokeswoman from the Obesity Health Alliance told local news Sunderland Echo, "This is a significant step in the battle against obesity and the Government ...
