Allocating the $1.5 Million From Soda Taxes



Funding raised from the city's soda tax are now being allocated throughout different health projects. According to a recent article, funding will be divided into three ways, all in a joint effort to continually focus on health. A grant for $637,500 will be given to the Berkeley Unified School District for cooking, gardening and nutrition programs, $637,500 will be given to community based agencies that have been approved through a competitive proposal process, and $225,00 will be given to the city's Public Health Division to coordinate, evaluate and report on the programs. Possible future funding will be looked at more for helping minority youth who are more at risk for health related diseases associated with sugary beverage consumption, like obesity diabetes and tooth decay. Two ...

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Cavities Get Around/ Las Caries Se Propagan



Did you know that thirty grams of orange juice could contain as much sugar as three donuts? Sweetened beverages like soda, juice and lemonades are dangerous to a child's health in many ways, including their oral health. Sugary beverages can fuel cavity-causing bacteria. Delta Dental of Colorado has been informing families about the dangers of these sugary sweetened beverages with their Cavities Get Around Campaign. This campaign is helping mom's find sugar-free or low sugar alternatives that help in keeping their child happy and hydrated along with preventing oral health risks. To learn more click here, or use their bilingual ...

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California Voters Support Sugary Drink Warning Labels



According to a recent poll directed by The California Center for Public Health Advocacy, showed that 78 percent of California voters are in support for putting warning labels on sugary beverages. The poll was conducted through telephone where voters were asked if they would support warning labels that explain that daily consumption of sugary drinks is linked to health risks like diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay. Over fifty percent were "strongly" in favor of the warning labels, with 85 percent of Latino voters supporting the labels. Why? Many consumers (28%) wanted to have the "right to know the truth" about products they purchase and stated that labels may help parents make healthier choices and help reduce sugar consumption for their children. Studies have shown that ...

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Sugary Beverage Discussions Bubble Up in Davis



Discussions of soda tax legislations started bubbling up in December 2015 last year when a group of public officials came together to ask the council to consider a tax on soda. No movement has been made on the council yet thus far, however, The California Center for Public Health Advocacy is now educating the community about sugary-sweetened beverages by mailing educational pledge brochures to Davis residents. The brochures on "The Facts About Sugar-Sweetened Beverages" were sent out to Davis residents in response to website ads  from the California Beverage Industry that gave facts and testimonials about "The Truth About Beverage Taxes." Discussions of taxing sugary beverages or putting labels on sugary beverages are still being analyzed in regards to bringing the topic into ...

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Update: Baltimore Wants Soda Label Warnings



Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner stated in a recent video, "The number one killer of both men and women, in the U.S and right here in Baltimore City is heart disease." Wen explained that childhood obesity is an epidemic in the nation and in their city, and a large contributor of this problem is children's daily consumption of sugary-sweetened beverages. According to a recent article, Wen stated that one in three school-aged children in Baltimore are overweight and one in four children drink one or more sodas a day. Latino children are disproportionally at a higher risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease, not to mention that they are also larger consumers of sugary-sweetened beverages, studies show. About 22 percent of Latino high-school students have ...

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Congressional Commission Recommends No Sugary Beverages For Food Stamps Purchases



A unanimous policy recommendation from the Congress to eliminate certain sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) was part of a report from the National Commission on Hunger on Monday, January 4, 2015. The report, states that there is scientific evidence that links consumption of SSB's can lead to negative health effects like obesity, and diabetes, especially amongst children. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the prevalence of obesity among youth aged 2 to 19 is highest for Hispanic populations. Studies have shown that about 74 percent of Latinos have had a SSB by age two. A 2012 study from Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reported that at least two billion dollars had been spent annually for SSB's in grocery stores from Supplemental Nutrition ...

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Update: San Antonio Press Conference Encourages A Healthy New Year’s Resolution



The new year is a time of resolutions and for many, a time to think about health, and one's diet. Members and representatives of San Antonio's Healthy Beverage Coalition joined together on January 6, 2016, to hold an educational press conference on the importance of knowing how much sugar is in the average sugary beverage and to help San Antonio to think about what sugary beverages they are drinking this year. Dr. Robert Ferrer, Board Chairman of the Health Collaborative, started off the conference holding up a bag of sugar and eating it one spoon at a time, all the while stating that eating the sugar in the bag is about the same as drinking a soda. Speaking also at the conference were members of the Healthy Beverage Coalition, Bexar County Judge, Nelson Wolff. Wolff explained ...

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New Dietary Guidelines Suggest Less Salt & Sugar



Mom was right when she said to eat your veggies, the new federal dietary guidelines encourage Americans to eat more vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins like seafood while lowering consumption of sugars, high-sodium and high-cholesterol foods. The guidelines suggest: A variety of vegetables, focusing on leafy greens and legumes Whole fruits and grains daily Low-fat or fat-free dairy products Variety of lean proteins Natural oils like, safflower, canola, and avocado oils. Studies show that diet and nutrition play a large part towards healthier outcomes. Encouraging less sugar-sweetened beverages and more fresh foods is beneficial to a long healthy lifestyle for Latinos and lowers risk of obesity and diabetes, studies suggest. Healthier food access is also ...

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Tennessee Encourages Community to Drink More Clean Tap Water



The Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN) is working on goals to help enforce state and federal anti-pollution laws towards clean water, but also encouraging the state to drink less sugary beverages and instead opt for free, clean tap water. The state is currently dealing with high rates of obesity, at 31.2%, according to a 2014 report, with Latinos at a high rate of obesity at 31.7%. The movement towards drinking more tap water will also help reduce large numbers of plastic beverage bottles being disposed of in the state's landfills, explains a recent article. Efforts have been taken by TCWN to install water fountains in local community areas with messages, such as "Water first for thirst' and decorations of local art on the fountains. The drive to encourage the community to ...

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