HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from CA Senator A Padilla - Obesity %LIZIi#aarnia �tatje 'q§atak
ALEX PADILLA
SENATOR, 20TH DISTRICT
BOARD 0P SUPERVISORS
JUN 13 2008
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ORv v, C;ALIFORNIA
June 9, 2008
Dear Colleagues:
California should be the national leader in the fight against obesity. Each year,
approximately 60,000 Californians become obese or overweight, conations which
significantly lead to.diabetes,hypertension, and other chronic diseases.
Last year, I authored legislation(SB 120)that would have required nutritional
information on menus and menu boards of large chain restaurants. While the Legislature
voted for the bill and 84% of California's registered voters polled supported the measure,
it was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. I recently introduced SB 1420 which, once
again, seeks to require restaurants with 15 or more locations in California to provide
nutrition information on menus and menu boards.
Recently,the United States District Court ruled that New York City's menu-labeling law
is legal, appropriate, and in the public interest. All restaurant chains in New York City
with 15 or more locations are now required to post calorie information on menu boards—
similar to the provisions of SB 1420. Restaurants such as Starbucks, Jamba Juice,
Quizno's, Subway, Johnny Rocket's, IHOP and Chipotle have begun to comply.
Last month,the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a first-of-its-
kind study showing that posting calorie information on restaurant menus and menu
boards could have a sizable impact on the obesity epidemic, even with modest changes
in consumer behavior.
The study found that if just 10% of restaurant patrons ordered reduced-calorie meals
(average reduction of 100 calories per meal) as a result of the calorie information, it
would result in a 40% decrease in the annual weight gain in the county population.
Knowledge is power in the fight against obesity. I respectfully request your support
for SB 1420. Attached please find a picture of a New York City Starbucks menu board
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CAPITOL OFFICE:STATE CAPITOL,ROOM 4032•SACRAMENTO,CA 95814 TEL(916)651-4020•FAx(916))901-5 45
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complying with menu-labeling, a sample resolution if you would like to support this
measure, as well as the executive.summary of the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health study. The full report is available at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. If
you have any questions, please feel free to call me at(916) 651-4020.
Sincerely,
Senator Alex Padilla
COUNTY oF Lot,ANGUI
.wPublie
May 2008
Menu Labeling as a Potential Strategy for
Combating the obesityEpidemic
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A Health Impact Assessment
Paul Simon, Christopher J.Jarosz,Tony Kuo, and Jonathan E. Fielding
Executive Summary
Mandated posting of calorie information on menus and menu boards at fast food and other large chain restaurants
has garnered growing public and legislative support as a potential strategy for addressing the obesity epidemic.
However, no studies to our knowledge have sought to quantify the potential impact of this strategy on the epidemic.
To address this gap,we conducted a health impact assessment of menu labeling,as proposed in California's Senate
Bill 120 in 2007 and in the current Senate Bill 1420, on the obesity epidemic in Los Angeles County.
Data on population weight gain from the California Department of Education Physical Fitness Testing Program and
the Los Angeles County Health Survey were used to quantify the obesity epidemic in Los Angeles County. Additional
data to estimate the number of meals served annually at large chain restaurants in the county, the percentage of
restaurant patrons that would order reduced calorie meals as a result of menu labeling, and the amount of calorie
reductions that would result from patron response to calorie postings were examined using published and unpublished
data sources. Multiple scenarios of restaurant patron response to calorie postings were examined to estimate a
plausible range of impacts of menu labeling on the obesity epidemic.
Using conservative assumptions that calorie postings would result in 10%of large chain restaurant patrons ordering
reduced calorie meals,with an average reduction
of 100 calories per meal, and no compensatory
increase in other food consumption, menu What is a Health Impact Assessment?
labeling would avert 38.9% of the 6.75 million
pound average annual weight gain in the county A health impact assessment is a combination of procedures,methods,
population aged 5 years and older. Substantially and tools by which a-policy, program,or project may be judged in
larger impacts Would be realized if higher
terms of its potential effects on the health of a population, and the
distribution of those effects within the population.t
percentages of restaurant patrons ordered
reduced calorie meals or average per meal calorie t Health Impact Assessment: Main Concepts and Suggested Approach.
reductions increased. These findings suggest Brussels, Belgium:,European Centre for Health Policy. world Health
Organization Regional Ofrice for Europe: 1999. Gothenburg Consensus
that mandated menu labeling at fast food and Paper:
other large chain restaurants could have a sizable
Available at:hitpalwww.euro.who.inttdocument/PAEIGathenburgpapscpdf.
salutary impact on the obesity epidemic,even with
Accessed March 25,2008.
only modest changes in consumer behavior.
Sample Resolution in Support of SB 1420
Whereas, Obesity rates in adults doubled over the last twenty years--currently,two-thirds
of American adults (65%) are overweight or obese and the percentage of seriously
overweight children tripled in the past two decades (from 4%to 15%); and
Whereas, Obesity is a major risk factor for many health problems, including heart
disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States,diabetes, and some
cancers; and
Whereas, Since 1994,pursuant to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act(NLEA),
food manufacturers have been required to provide nutritional information on nearly all
packaged foods. However,the NLEA explicitly exempts restaurants; and
Whereas, In 1970, Americans spent just 26% of their food dollars on foods prepared
outside the home, like restaurant meals;today the amount is 46%; and
Whereas, At most restaurants,people can only guess the nutritional quality of the food.
Larger portions,higher calories and fat and lack of nutritional information have become a
huge problem for the health of today's Americans; and
Whereas, Studies have found a positive association between eating out and higher caloric
intakes and body weights. For example, children eat almost twice as many calories when
they eat a meal at a restaurant(770 calories) as at home (420 calories); and
Whereas,Recognizing the need for consumers to have the information they need to make
healthier choices when eating out, State Senator Alex Padilla(D-Pacoima)has introduced
SB 1420; and
Whereas, SB 1420 would require chain restaurants with 15 or more outlets in California
to provide nutritional information per item on printed menus and menu boards; and
Whereas,The United States District Court recently ruled that New York City's menu-
labeling ordinance—similar to the provisions of SB 1420—is legal,appropriate, and in
the public interest; and
Whereas,New York City is already implementing a menu-labeling ordinance, as major
food retailers have begun posting calorie counts on menu boards; and
SB 1420 is an important step in giving consumers the information they need to make
healthier food choices. Consumers have the right to know the nutritional content of
restaurant meals; and now,therefore be it
Resolved,that the City/County of XXX will write a letter to the California legislature
stating their support of SB 1420.
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