Obesity Discussion Forums

[Obesity Discussion]

http://www.healthoregon.org/hpcdp/ph...tyandnutrition

The Epidemic
57% of Oregon adults are overweight or obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
20% of non-Hispanic white adults and 26% of Hispanic adults in Oregon are obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
31% of low-income children between 2 and 5 years of age in Oregon are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC PedNSS, 2002)
The obesity rate among Oregon adults increased by 86% from 1990 to 2002. (CDC BRFSS, 1990, 2002)

Program Priorities
An Oregon Statewide Public Health Nutrition Plan and a Statewide Physical Activity Plan were published in 2003. Both plans are on the program Web site*.

A Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Work Group has been formed to identify priority policy strategies in the Statewide Plans and coordinate efforts of partners.

An Evaluation Work Group will identify data needs and develop methods and systems for monitoring outcomes of the statewide physical activity and nutrition plans.


Partners
African American Health Coalition, Inc.
American Cancer Society
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Community Health Partnership
5 A Day Partners
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport
Kaiser Permanente
Nike
Nursing Mothers Council of Oregon
Nutrition Council of Oregon
Oregon Active Community Environments
Oregon Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
Oregon Dairy Council/Nutrition Education Services
Oregon Department of Education
Oregon Department of Human Services, Health Services
Oregon Department of State Parks and Recreation
Oregon Department of Transportation
Oregon Diabetes Coalition
Oregon Institute on Disability and Development
Oregon Medical Society
Oregon Pear Board
Oregon Recreation & Parks Association
Oregon State University
Portland State University
Regency Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Upstream Public Health
Willamette Pedestrian Coalition

Recent Accomplishments and Products
• Conducted an inventory of current activities in Oregon that promote nutrition or daily physical activity through policy, environment, or education.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation made $200,000 grant to two partners — the American Heart Association and the Oregon Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity — to fund Active Living by Design pilot projects in three Portland neighborhoods (see upcoming events and products).
• An Oregon Safe Routes to School Toolkit was developed by the Active Community Environments group to supplement the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration publication Safe Routes to School.

Upcoming Events and Products
A work site intervention that will include environmental changes, such as healthier vending machine choices and easier stairway access.
Oregon Walk to School Day 2004.
Three projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will
Influence development and help create a mixed-use community with an integrated system of streets, parkways, and greenways in the Damascus project.
Help community residents improve their options for using light rail, walking, and biking for transportation in the Interstate Corridor project.
Focus on the design, building, and promotion of the Lents Station Interpretive Trailhead on the exisitng Springwater Corridor in the Southeast Portland project.
The Healthy Active Oregon Training Institute will enhance skills, provide tools, and support county teams interested in promoting nutrition and physical activity in local Oregon communities.
Project Period: 2003–2008
Year First Funded: 2000
Funding Stage: Capacity Building
Contact Person:
John Chism, MSSA
Program Coordinator
Oregon Health Services, Dept. of Human Services
Telephone: 503-731-4273
Fax: 503-731-4082
E-mail: john.w.chism@state.or.us
Web site: http://www.healthoregon.org/hpcdp/ph...yandnutrition*


Data Sources
CDC BRFSS — CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
CDC PedNSS — CDC’s Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC YRBSS — CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obes...ams/oregon.htm

[Obesity Discussion]

School board joins state's fight against obesity
By: Jeff Mill

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PORTLAND - Amid expanding concerns over childhood obesity, the Board of Education has joined a statewide effort to provide healthy food to school children.
The board has agreed to take part in a new state program to provide "only healthy food during school hours," Superintendent of Schools Sally E. Doyen said.
That means out with high-sugar content soda and in with fruit and vegetable juices, which must contain a specified percentage of real fruits and/or vegetables, she added.
The new prohibition, which was ordered by state officials, came as the number of severely overweight children has grown alarmingly.
In an effort to combat the growth of childhood obesity, the state has declared war on soda in schools and any other "unhealthy" food. It is even offering the state's cities and towns an incentive of 10 cents per meal to enlist their support for the program.
It will, Doyen acknowledged, mean an adjustment for children and their parents.
She added, however, that the prohibition would not apply to soda sales after sporting events.
The new rules also prohibit the sale of the forbidden foods even at after-school fund-raisers, Doyen said. However, faced with the prospect of school groups being banned from selling candy bars, or the music club not being able to sell pies at Thanksgiving, the school board balked.
"The board decided to leave the situation as is," she said, for the immediate future.
Many of these groups plan their fund-raisers a year in advance, Doyen said. Had the board acted to impose an outright ban, "it really would have the potential to cost them a lot of money," she said.
Plus, the board did not believe it was fair to act with giving the groups some prior notice so they can try and conform."
Doyen was also quick to point out that despite the imposition of the new state guidelines, parents should not be unduly worried.
"Our meals have been nutritious for years. We have had to meet the Federal guidelines for decades," she explained. And, the school department and its food vendor, Sodexho, have tried to keep on top of what students like and want to eat, while at the same time trying to ensure what they eat is healthy and good for them.
During a recent school board meeting, Connie McCartney, the manager of Portland's food service for Sodexho, joined the board to discuss the issue.
She said the shift following the imposition of the new law on July 1 will be a learning experience for the school, the students, and for Sodexho.
"I'd like to see us try and be prepared for this," McCartney told the board.
"We are going to have to restrict the sales of candy bars and things like mini-cheesecakes," McCartney said. "And, we're going to have to price healthier items at a lower cost."
"We're going to have to have more education for the kids," board member Honora Kenney observed. "It's going to create a problem; so many of them don't eat breakfast now. There has to be something that goes along with this."
But her colleague Christopher Bongo wasn't entirely convinced of the rightness of the enforced edict from the state.
"This sounds like a free-trade issue," he suggested.
Some parents who attended the meeting added another thought.
A member of the music boosters said the band holds a candy sale to finance its trips. "If they can't sell those candy bars, some of these kids can't make the trip."
But, Doyen said, "We're going to have to think about some alternatives" to those candy sales.

Obesity Fight