Childhood Obesity Weekly Policy Update


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Federal


	House Committee Continues Child Nutrition Hearings



	The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing today on child nutrition programs, featuring testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The hearing, the third of a series that started earlier this spring, is being held in advance of the introduction of a child nutrition bill, expected later this summer.


	House Rejects Amendment to Block Spending on Walking, Biking Infrastructure



	The House of Representatives rejected an amendment to an FY’16 transportation appropriations bill from Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., that would have prevented the New Starts program—which provides federal funds to create or expand transit projects—from funding associated bicycle or pedestrian access projects. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 214- 212 and later passed the bill.

State and Local


	Soda Ordinances in San Francisco Pass Unanimously



	The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved unanimously on a series of ordinances to require health warning labels on advertisements for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), prohibit advertising for SSBs on city-owned property and buses, and prohibiting city funds. Following a final approval vote expected this week, the ordinances will go to Mayor Ed Lee.

From the Field


	Four New State Polls Show Strong Support for Healthy School Food Standards



	Three years after nutrition standards were strengthened for the national school lunch and breakfast programs, four new state polls—Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Alabama—show strong support for the updated standards among parents and voters. The series of polls released in 2015—which also includes Mississippi, Kansas, and Pennsylvania—has been released by the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, a collaboration of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


	“FNV” Launches New Marketing Campaign



	A national campaign to promote fruits and vegetables using tactics traditionally favored by food and beverage companies launched in Fresno, Calif., and Hampton Roads, Va. The FNV campaign—managed by the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) with a variety of partners, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—will include celebrity endorsements, viral marketing, local media buys, events and in-store marketing, among other strategies. According to an evaluation released yesterday, a marketing campaign for fresh produce initiated by PHA and the Produce Marketing Association that uses Sesame Street characters found a 1-2 percent increase in sales of branded items among companies that have been involved with the campaign for at least six months.


	American Licorice Company Joins Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative



	The American Licorice Company became the 18^th company to voluntarily join the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), a self-regulatory initiative under which companies adhere to nutrition standards for food and beverage marketing efforts to children ages 11 and under. The American Licorice Company became the sixth candy companies to join CFBAI, which together represent 60 percent of candy sold in the United States.

Articles of Interest


	Kindergarteners Ringing the Bell for Play Inside the Classroom



	New York Times, Motoko Rich, 6/5/2015 As American classrooms have focused on raising test scores in math and reading, even the youngest students have been affected, with more formal lessons and less time in sandboxes. But these days, states are again embracing play as a bedrock of kindergarten.


	Lots of Crazy Claims about Soda Taxes. Which Panned Out?



	Grist, Nathanael Johnson, 6/9/2015 Voters in Berkeley, Calif. passed the sugar-sweetened beverage tax just last November, so it’s far too soon to tell if it’s having any impact on health. But we can, even at this point, fact-check a couple of predictions that were making the rounds before the vote.


	Upcoming Events



	Hunger and Health: Connecting Patients to Food Assistance June 23, 2015 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Hosted by the Food Research and Action Center, this webinar will explore the benefits of screening for food insecurity in health settings and how to connect patients to food assistance. Register for the webinar. When Safe Routes to School Meets Violence Prevention June 25, 2015 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Hosted by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, this webinar will describe strategies to make routes to school safe from violence and crime, so kids can be active. Register for the webinar.

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