Sent on behalf of Dr. Paul Simon, MD, MPH
Director, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
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As part of the First 5 LA funded Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (ECOPI), the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions has released a comprehensive toolkit called Marketing Matters: A White Paper on Strategies to Reduce Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing to Young Children.  The toolkit highlights strategies for local communities to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

There is a critical need for such strategies to address unhealthy marketing of foods and beverages to children. Food marketing has a significant impact on the diet and health of children as companies are spending $1.79 billion annually to specifically market food to children. The overwhelming majority of the foods and beverages marketed to children are of poor nutritional quality, which leads to overconsumption of unhealthy foods and an under consumption of fruits and vegetables.

In LA County, nearly one in four children (24%) ages five years and under drink one or more sodas or sugar sweetened beverages each day. Additionally, 42% of children five years and under consume fast food at least once a week. Poor dietary habits, which can be a result of unhealthy food marketing, can contribute to childhood obesity and other chronic diseases. The obesity rate among 3- and 4- year old children receiving WIC nutrition services in LA County was 19% in 2014, almost as high as the obesity rate among adults in LA County at 24%.

Marketing Matters provides a summary of the issue, legal background for local strategies, and a list of policy recommendations categorized by legal feasibility. Additionally, the toolkit includes tailored handouts targeting policymakers, parents, and community groups with calls to action on how they can reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.

Local communities are well positioned to take the lead in changing the food and beverage marketing environment in multiple settings. Through the ECOPI grant and the Choose Health LA Kids Program, DPH is working with 20 community agencies throughout Los Angeles County to support parent coalitions to explore how they can work together to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages in their communities.

We invite you to:

*       Review the toolkit http://changelabsolutions.org/publications/marketing-matters

*       Share the toolkit with your networks

*       Connect with local groups that are working on food marketing issues

*       Connect with DPH to learn more or to collaborate on this important issue

For more information, questions on efforts in Los Angeles County, or resources, please contact
Kelly Dumke, MS
Assistant Project Director, Choose Health LA Kids
Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Division of Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention
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