SUMMARY:

Overview:
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Obesity causes extensive health consequences and results in significant financial implications to individuals and taxpayers.

A Call to Action: San Diego County Childhood Obesity Action Plan was developed using an ecological model for promotion of health. This concept holds that a supportive environment is helpful for individuals to make behavioral changes. This proposal recommends a change in the County’s vending machine environment to positively impact the choices of individuals who visit our facilities.

A key strategy of the Action Plan includes providing healthy choices in vending machines. High-calorie soda and low-nutrition snack foods contribute to obesity. At the same time, low-nutrition snack foods displace healthier options in vending machines.

The County of San Diego must continue to take a lead role in setting an example for the community by increasing healthy choice options in vending machines at our public facilities.

Recommendation(s):

VICE CHAIRMAN ROBERTS AND SUPERVISOR SLATER-PRICE:
1.     Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to develop nutritional guidelines that can be incorporated in a policy for all county vending machine contracts and use the County Department of Park & Recreation’s Vending Machine Content Policy C-36 as a model.

2.     Include in the policy a provision that vending machines located at county facilities that primarily serve youth (i.e. juvenile hall) have 100 percent of products in compliance with the nutritional guidelines and those at other county facilities have 50 percent compliance.

3.     Implement this policy as contracts come up for renewal.

4.     Report back to the board within 90 days with a recommendation.

Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact related to this action.

BACKGROUND:

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. The increasing number of overweight and obese children in San Diego County puts our youngest generation at risk of major health problems. These health complications are continuing to manifest in our adult population at an alarming rate. Obesity has extensive personal health consequences and significant financial implications for individuals and taxpayers.

In response to this epidemic, on October 19, 2004, the Board approved our recommendation to develop a strategy for tackling the issue of childhood obesity. Hundreds of stakeholders worked together to develop the 2006 Call to Action: San Diego County Childhood Obesity Action Plan. This Action Plan is designed to inspire agencies, institutions and neighborhoods to recognize the importance of nutrition and physical activity by adopting suggested strategies.

In March 2006, the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation became the first county department in California to adopt a comprehensive healthy vending machine policy. The standards were derived from two state bills, including Senate Bill 19, the Pupil Nutrition, Health, and Achievement Act of 2001, and Senate Bill 12, the School Nutrition Standards as well as recommendations from the Nutrition Network, which is a collaboration of dieticians in San Diego.

Recent state legislation requires elementary, middle and high schools to provide healthier choices on school campuses, including vending machines. By implementing a similar policy in County facilities, the County of San Diego can assist in building a supportive community environment for healthy nutrition and creates policy continuity for the vending machine industry, which is currently adjusting to keep pace with a growing trend toward health promotion.

The Department of Parks and Recreation, Vending Machine Content Policy C-36, requires that food and beverages sold in vending machines located in all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Department meet specified nutrition standards. The policy specifies that 100 percent of the food and beverages sold in vending machines in recreation centers and sports facilities and 50 percent of the food and beverages sold in vending machines in parks and open space meet the nutrition standards. This vending policy plan is supported by the Childhood Obesity Initiative Leadership Council.

Currently, there is no County requirement that all departments adopt this principal. Nor does the County currently require vendors to provide healthy choices.

As a community partner, the County of San Diego must continue to lead, setting a positive example by increasing healthy choices in vending machines that are accessible to the public. By expanding healthy vending machine choices, we are doing our part to promote responsible decisions about nutrition and well being.

Working collaboratively as a community, childhood obesity can be reduced, thereby alleviating health problems while lessening the financial burden on taxpayers.

Respectfully submitted,

RON ROBERTS Vice Chairman Fourth District

PAM SLATER-PRICE Supervisor Third District