According to the Register-Herald, a poll was taken by the American Heart Association (AHA) recently showed that 60% of around 600 respondents favor taxing sugary drinks in West Virginia. From the same poll 53% West Virginians said they would support a 1 to cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks. But what could a sugary drink tax do for the community and its health? According to Harvard University School of Public Health study, not only would a 2 cent per ounce tax generate $128 million for the state, but also help decrease sugary drinks for the community in turn reducing type 2 diabetes by 2 % and over 10 years could save over $160 million dollars in health care costs. Many people in the survey fear that children will develop the diseases that are linked with daily consumption ...
According to a local newspaper, Santa Fe New Mexican, Mayor Javier Gonzales, who proposed a soda tax policy to support pre-kinder education will speak up about this proposal and more at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center this Wednesday at the annual State of the City address. Gonzales will speak about the proposal he made to increase an estimated $7 million for funding for pre-k across the city, especially for city's some 966 3 and 4-year-olds who do not have a pre-k education. “It has to be that way if we truly want to see a break in this cycle of poverty, a breakdown of the barriers that are stopping our kids in their tracks from achieving their full potential,” Mayor Gonzales told Santa Fe New Mexican News. “It’s just reality of why you need a new revenue ...
In California, a new bill to warn consumers of the sugars in sports drinks is making its way before the senate health committee in late March or early April, according to The Californian. “The State of California continues to see a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes among its residents and it is occurring at younger and younger ages,” Senator Bill Monning said. “Strong and compelling scientific evidence clearly shows drinking sodas, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks heightens your risk for preventable chronic diseases.” In a state like California, where Latinos outnumber whites, research shows that Latino youth consume far more sugar-sweetened beverages than their white peers, which can lead to higher health risks and disparities among Latino youth. In fact, Latino ...
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is asking for your help to ensure Chili's removes soda from kids' menus. Latino kids, who are often more marketed sodas than their white peers consume more sugary drinks than their white peers, where 74% of Latinos have had a sugary drink by age two. Research also shows that Latino high-school students have about three or more sugary drinks a day, and with each extra sugary drink the risk of becoming an obese adult jumps to 60%! Many restaurants have already taken the healthy step to remove sodas from kids' menus, including Burger King, Wendy's, Dairy Queen, Jack in the Box, Applebee's and McDonald's! However, Chili's Grill & Bars continue to have soda on their kids' menus.
One in every three children in our communities is ...
After United Way's Young Leaders Society, the Robla School District and the Health Education Council helped raise over $25,000 dollars to provide hydration stations at each school in the Robla School District (54% Latino), the district went a step further for health, literally. How? In the fall of 2015, after the Health Education Council met with students in their classrooms educating them on sugary beverages, the council also met with a small parent group at Taylor Street Elementary School to teach them about how to "Rethink Your Drink", educating parents on how much sugar is in the average soda, juices, and teas. Parents learned so much from the workshop that they wanted to know what else they could learn about. This conversation led to weekly nutrition workshops provided by ...
Today, February 8th, 2017, the City Business and Quality of Life Committee which includes two persons, Mike Harris and Signe Lindell, is scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. to consider the 2-cents-per ounce tax proposed by Mayor Javier Gonzalez. The meeting today will not be a public meeting but the full council is purposed to meet for a public hearing and vote on March 8th. The soda tax is purposed to increase health and ensure funding education for pre-k in the city. The proposal has support, according to Santa Fe New Mexican Local News, but Rio Grande Foundation is opposing the tax, accusing the proposal is a creating a way for political lifestyle police. "The resolution doesn’t lay the groundwork for anything but a healthier community, and that’s something I absolutely ...
Clean, accessible water is vital to the health of children, especially when it comes to reducing consumption of sugary beverages and keeping kids healthy throughout the school day. The National Drinking Water Alliance (NDWA) is a national coalition of nonprofits, academic institutions, individuals and advocates who are working to ensure all children have access to safe and clean drinking water. NDWA is working to ensure water safety issues, like what happened in Flint, are eradicated at the national, state and community levels, by developing legislation for tap water testing in schools and childcare sites. NDWA has not only urged the United States Department of Agriculture to add a water symbol to the My Plate graphic but also provides a hub of various water resources, including ...
Aiming to mirror their mission "to help people live the healthiest lives possible", Intermountain Healthcare is removing all sugary beverages, candies and less healthy snacks from it's vending machines. Many nationwide health systems have also adopted similar policies including, Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente. From March 1st of this year, snacks that have added sugars, salts, and saturated fats will all now be banned from vending machines, with new healthier food options based on nutrition and dietary guidelines. Since 2014, the hospital has been working to create healthier food environments, with cafeterias that offer healthy plates, and messages about eating healthier and being active. Over 100,000 people in Utah and Southern Idaho are living with prediabetes, stated St. ...
In efforts to help decrease the rising obesity rates in France, the government has banned all fast-food restaurants, including many American chain restaurants from giving consumers free soda refills. Targeted to the youth, who are facing rising rates of diabetes, the law is working to limit consumption of sugary beverages, which has shown through research to be linked higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cavities, and behavior problems. According to 2014 data, the French are less overweight than Americans, at 15.3% vs Americans at 36.5%, however, France is looking to be ahead of the issue, working to prevent alarming levels of diabetes. Many countries across the world are working to tackle their rising obesity and diabetes rates, through the World Health Organizations ...
