State restrictions on transportation funds can limit opportunities to create sidewalks and bike lanes. According to a DCStreetsblog.org blog post, 22 state constitutions (Colorado included) allowed gas tax revenues and vehicle registration fees to be used only towards the development of highways and bridges. Recently, advocates in Colorado found a way to modify this law, so that at least 15% of funds are made available for sidewalks, bus ways, and bike lanes. Now, thanks to the work of these transit and environmental advocates, $250 million of the state's revenue will be available for walking, biking, and transit projects. Advocates worked with local government officials and came up with a solution that state lawmakers would be willing to accept. The new policy is framed so that local ...
New Mexico hoped to develop and promote more farmers' markets in the state with H.B. 100. State Rep. Don L. Tripp introduced the bill, and many food activists in New Mexico saw it as an opportunity to get more farmers' markets to underserved areas around the state, bringing healthier food along with them. On April 15, 2013, the bill was signed into ...
Students at Briscoe Elementary in Houston Texas are learning the meaning of what it is to live a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to the collaboration of Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity (CAN DO) Houston, the city's parks and recreation department, and strong leadership from the school's principal, Mr. Juan Gonzalez, students are able to attend after school activities held at Mason Park. After school activities are provided free of charge by the parks and recreation department, but it wasn't until a CAN DO board member suggested the idea of transporting students to Mason Park, that the idea took off. An Interview with Briscoe Elementary Principal Juan Gonzalez "Parents believed that they [children] would not be safe walking, so we came up with the idea of buses," Principal ...
Active Texas 2020 is a comprehensive physical activity plan for the state of Texas. It is divided into 8 sections which describe the need for establishing a statewide physical activity plan, how to go about collaborating with various stakeholders, how to obtain resources, and establish goals, for engaging in evidence based initiatives to promote physical activity.
Active Texas 2020 is built on the following principles: increasing physical activity will improve the health of individuals and throughout the state;
making the healthier choice the easier choice in local communities where people live, work, pray and play is everyone’s business;
a successful approach to making community change is one that: a.) engages and seeks leadership, b.) collaboration, ...
In February of 2013, Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) filed SB 525, a bill that would increase physical activity requirements for middle school students (grades 6-8th). Students would be required to take six semesters of physical activity rather than the current requirement of only four semesters. Rep. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) filed a companion bill HB 277, which includes the same provisions as SB 525. The bills, which would increase physical education requirements for students and require at least 30 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity, 135 minutes per week, or (if the district uses block scheduling) 225 minutes of bi-weekly physical activity, failed to pass during the 2013 Legislative ...
At the 2013 Texas Legislature, Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) introduced SB 65, as a way to recognize schools for creating a healthy environment. If this bill were to be enacted schools would be recognized with a bronze, silver, or gold, award according to the success of their school's fitness program. Private and non-profit entities would be allowed to provide donations and incentives to schools that receive healthy school recognition. According to the Texas Legislature Online, SB 65 was referred to public education and no action was taken in committee. Read the full text to SB 65, which would have provided recognition to schools with a healthy school ...
Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell is helping a group address the lack of access to healthy foods in low-income Tennessee areas. On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, Rep. Harwell led representatives of the Tennessee Obesity Taskforce on a walk from Legislative Plaza in downtown Nashville to a local urban market to illustrate the difficulties Tennesseans living in food deserts have buying healthy ...
The Eco Garden is a community-supported agriculture operation run by neighborhood youth for low-income families. It’s an agricultural oasis in a Cincinnati neighborhood better known for its crime than its carrots. Angela Stanbery-Ebner and her husband Luke got involved the educational programs offered at the Eco Garden in 2004, fresh out of art school at the University of Cincinnati. Six years later, when the nonprofit managing the garden folded, the couple took over, rolling it into their own nonprofit called Permaganic. Out went the emails, an online petition, and calls to the city council in an effort to save one of the most vibrant corners of a rough-around-the-edges neighborhood. Unfortunately for the Eco Garden, it doesn’t own the land on which it sits, the city does. This ...
"Nickelodeon is the largest entertainment company for kids. It markets and advertises food to children through television, its websites, games, toy giveaways with fast-food meals, and the use of its characters to promote foods," according to The Food Marketing Workgroup. Between 2005 and 2009 approximately 79% of the ads aired on Nickelodeon featured foods of a poor nutritional value. Nickelodeon, a popular TV channel that airs programming for children, continues to allow food producers to advertise junk food to children. Because the advertisements that children see on TV can have such a strong influence, Viacom and Nickelodeon have been asked to increase their nutrition standards for foods advertised to children. The Food Marketing Workgroup, which is a network of more than 125 ...
