A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is back on the table in Texas. In late January 2013, State Representative Joe Farias( D- San Antonio) introduced two similar bills, that would tax sugary drinks and then use some of the revenue raised to fund children's health programs. Similar bills were introduced in 2012 and subsequently died in committee. Both 2013 bills met the same fate this summer, but they did bring awareness to the health risks of drinking too many sugary ...
In early 2011, Arizona State Representative Matt Heinz (D-Tucson) introduced a tax on sugar sweetened beverages. The bill died in committee. This was the fourth attempt at levying a tax of some kind on sugar-sweetened beverages in ...
Residents from the Crestview Neighborhood Association and the Brentwood Neighborhood Association in Austin, Texas expressed a desire to use a 5.5 acre, city-owned, piece of land, for a new park. According to an agenda from the Austin City Council, a resolution to evaluate the feasibility of using property located at 6909 Ryan Drive, for the creation of a pocket park, was brought before the council. The council approved the resolution and the result is a report which outlines the community vision, the current regulatory authority, existing conditions and development scenarios, and open space opportunities, among other items. More Information Austin City Council Agenda, January 17, 2013 The Austin City Council discussed item (no. 54) on the agenda, a resolution which asks the city ...
Hispanics suffer disproportionately from obesity, yet companies like Coca-Cola continue to target Latinos with advertisements. Now Coca-Cola is using anti-obesity ads to create a positive image for their brand, which knowingly sells products high in sugar and fat. Producers of sodas and sweetened beverages recognize that Hispanics are a group with a high buying power. For Coca-Cola Latinos' buying power has reached over $1 billion for their products. Because the industry is subject only to self-regulation, vulnerable groups continue to be the target of their marketing ...
On January 8, 2013, the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) released the Blueprint for Accelerating Progress in Childhood Obesity Prevention in Chicago: The Next Decade. It was created after a year of strategic planning with national and local experts to create goals, objectives, and strategies for Chicago to undertake to make a substantial difference in childhood obesity rates in the city. Among the recommendations outlined in the plan were price incentives and disincentives for unhealthy beverages, policies that promote greater food access for all, and continuing to remove unhealthy competitive foods in schools. In Chicago public schools, Hispanic children make up almost half of the student body. Keep up to date with CLOCC's progress through their ...
Over 300 volunteers from local business groups and organizations teamed up with KaBOOM!---a non-profit organization that helps bring playgrounds to communities---to build a playground at Woodard Park in San Antonio, Texas. The event which took place on May 11, 2013 will benefit children living on the Eastside of San Antonio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10bHuCJWgQE&feature=player_embedded According to the video employees from Blue-Cross Blue Shield, Valero, and United Way came out to build the new ...
Community-based, family-centered programs may offer an effective, low-cost method for encouraging children to adopt healthy lifestyle practices. For instance, a pilot study of The YMCA Healthy, Fit, and Strong Program found that the low cost, and simple design of this program could provide YMCAs and community organizations across the country with a means for developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Club sport participation and fitness programs offered through organizations like the YMCA are examples of alternatives that can offer children ways to be active, outside of school time. Because most children do not receive the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity they should be getting, community based programs may offer children a solution to this problem. Club Sport ...
A group of over 300 parents and teens joined the Baldwin Park Resident Advisory Committee (BPRAC) in order to bring safer and more walkable streets to Baldwin Park. Advocates attended a series of workshops where they identified areas that needed street-scale improvements like sidewalks and crosswalks. They then went before the city council to express their concerns and to describe what improvements would enable them to walk more. After speaking with city officials the City of Baldwin Park was able to get a grant to study the streets of Baldwin Park. Eventually a Complete Streets design was presented to advocates and a Complete Streets policy was adopted by the city on July 20, 2011. The City of Baldwin Park's Complete Streets Policy Baldwin Park's Complete Streets policy seeks to ...
The city of Los Angeles is working to improve mobility for all Angelenos by adding continental crosswalks to the city's top-fifty most dangerous intersections. In December 2012, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, launched an initiative to improve crosswalks at 53 intersections throughout the city by March 2013. According to a LAStreetsblog post, Mayor Villaraigosa stated that in the future he would like to see continental crosswalks (otherwise known as zebra crosswalks) at every intersection, however this would be costly. According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) the city's Measure R funds, for pedestrian improvements, will be used to fund this project. Most of new crosswalks (84%) will be installed adjacent to schools and transit. Related news City ...
