a battle for a better future

8/13/2019 A Battle for a Better Future

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Brandon Walker

December 10th, 2010

Intro Public Policy

Dr. Gary Dymski

A Battle for a Better uture

Within the !ast three decades, !oor "uality and inaccessibility to healthier food

o!tions has redefined the #American diet$ and led to the u!risin% of a ne& e!idemic that

is s&ee!in% the nation' obesity. (his modern day disease has had an e)cruciatin% affect

on *arious states+ health care s!endin%, economy, and e)!ected life s!an &ithin the -,

but more s!ecifically alifornia. Because of !oor dietary choices and a lack of !hysical

acti*ity, alifornia+s current health status is in dan%er, and sho&s no si%n of

im!ro*ement. In a !eriod of ten years, !olicymakers, le%islatures, on%ress, and other

sectors of %o*ernment ha*e brainstormed methods and formulated !lans in effort to

combat &hat has been labeled as #(he /besity !idemic$. o&e*er, due to fra%mented

efforts and the com!le)ity of the situation, there has yet to be an effecti*e !lan to !ut

obesity to an end.

/ne mi%ht "uestion #&hy does obesity matter3 What information has been

brou%ht forth about this issue to %ain the attention of !olicy analysts3$ or those

indi*iduals &ho "uestion the se*erity of obesity, &hat they may fail to reali4e is the

affect obesity has on health' indi*idually and collecti*ely. #(he real obesity toll comes

&ith o*er half of all alifornia at %reater risk for heart disease, ty!e 2 diabetes, hi%h

blood !ressure, strokes, arthritis5related disabilities, de!ression, slee! disorders, and

some cancers$ 6alifornia /besity Pre*ention Plan7. /besity can !otentially !enetrate


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e*ery as!ect of our li*es, but most im!ortantly, it also affects our children and youth.

#(he number of o*er&ei%ht 8children9 has tri!led since 1:;0$ 6ost alarmin% ?05;0@ of o*er&ei%ht

children &ill become o*er&ei%ht adults 6alifornia /besity Pre*ention Plan7. If &e do not

!ut an end to this e!idemic, our children &ill !ay the !rice &ith their li*es. /besity has

caused a decrease in life e)!ectancy. ankin% ?: thamon% nations in 200;, the life

e)!ectancy of Americans &as ;.1 years 6edicare estimates ran%e from 1= million 6Wyomin%7 to 1.

billion 6alifornia7, and obesity5attributable >edicaid e)!enditures ran%e from 2E

million 6Wyomin%7 to E.= billion 6Fe& ork7. (he state differences in obesity5

attributable e)!enditures are !artly dri*en by the differences in the si4e of each stateHs

!o!ulation$ 6#/*er&ei%ht and /besity$7. ealth care !ro%rams, such as >edicare and

>edicaid, are becomin% more e)!ensi*e and difficult to fund each year. ealth care


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!rices continue to rise, &hile bud%ets be%in to fluctuate. A si%nificant !ercenta%e of the

illnesses !hysicians and !ractitioners treat, &hich these !ro%rams !ay for, are

com!lications cause by obesity. (herefore, if &e can !re*ent obesity, the %o*ernment

can sa*e billions on health care cost.

I ha*e chosen the arena of health care, more s!ecifically obesity, an im!ortant

issue that deser*es attention and needs correction, for my !olicy analysis. I chose this

to!ic because I belie*e it is an issue that does not recei*e enou%h attention. As

o!!osed to other issues facin% !ublic !olicy, such as ducation and Defense, obesity is

a !olicy arena that has the !otential to be erased from the health care a%enda. A 200E

article in Health Affairs !ut the cost of obesity at =. !ercent of health care s!endin%

and treatin% illness related to obesity cost more than 100 billion dollars 6


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likely to ha*e ty!e 2 diabetes as children of normal &ei%ht. If current trends continue,

de*astatin% conse"uences may arise. )!erts &arn that one in three American children

born in 2000, and half of all children from ethnicracially di*erse !o!ulations, &ill suffer

ty!e 2 diabetes durin% hisher lifetime. In a 200= San Franciscoarticle, #A(( (AF

J Des!ite alarms o*er childhood obesity, aliforniaHs kids are !ackin% on the

!ounds$, arl (. all says #itness5test scores in the !ublic schools sho&ed that about

2; of e*ery 100 schoolchildren in alifornia &ere o*er&ei%ht in 200?, u! C !ercent from

2001, &hen a similar study &as done$. -tudies ha*e also sho&n a connection bet&een

obesity and minorities. (he same studies conducted in the all article sho&edPacific

Islanders had the hi%hest !ercenta%e of children o*er&ei%ht, at E=.: !ercent, follo&ed

by Katinos at E=.? !ercent, American IndiansAlaskan Fati*es at E1. !ercent and

African Americans at 2;. !ercent. /nly 1.: !ercent of Asians and 20.C !ercent of

&hite children &ere in the o*er&ei%ht cate%ory. (he Ke%islati*e Black aucus of

alifornia and the Katino Ke%islati*e aucus of alifornia ha*e already be%un to take

incenti*es to sol*e this !roblem that is ne%ati*ely affectin% their communities.

ontro*ersies o*er &ho should be held accountable for the cause of obesity

be%an to rise in on%ress and also %ained the attention of !ublic officials, such as

Go*ernor of alifornia Arnold -ch&ar4ene%%er. While some ar%ue the res!onsibility of

obesity lies &ith the indi*idual, others belie*e them to be the *ictims of the ei%ht

hundred billion dollar food industries &ho #undermine %ood nutrition by stron%ly

!romotin% sales of unhealthy food$ 6


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/besity Pre*ention Plan7. Because of the food industry, the #American diet$ mainly

consists of foods hi%h in calories, fat, and cholesterol. As a result of the obese

!o!ulation !lacin% the blame of their !oor health on food industries, in /ctober of 200=

on%ress !assed a bill that &ould ban obesity related la&suits a%ainst restaurants and

food manufacturers. -u!!orters said the bill &as intended to !rioriti4e !ersonal

res!onsibility amon% an increasin%ly obese American !o!ulation 6#heesebur%er Bill$,

B- Fe&s7' for they also feared these la&suits could !otentially bankru!t the food

industry. I find their claims to be inaccurate and lack substance because they fail to take

into account the actual number of la&suits filed a%ainst restaurants and food

manufacturers for obesity, &hich aren+t that many. o&e*er, there &as one case in

!articular that %ained attention. In 2002, t&o Bron) teena%ers accused >cDonaldHs of

makin% them fat by ser*in% them hi%hly !rocessed food that affected their health. A

Lud%e tossed out the case a year later, but an a!!eals court reinstated !art of the suit in

early 200= 6heesebur%er Bill, FF Politics7. Passin% this bill has caused tension and a

di*ision of ideolo%y in the ouse.-ome committee members ar%ued that fast5foodcom!anies need to be held accountable for their harmful !roducts. e!resentati*e of

alifornia Bob ilner says #on%ress has allo&ed the need of bi% cor!orations before

the need of our children$ 6#heesebur%er Bill$, FF Politics7, &hile e!resentati*e of

(e)as Kamar -mith belie*es #We should not encoura%e la&suits that blame others for

our o&n choices and could bankru!t an entire industry$ 6heesebur%er Bill, B- Fe&s7.

ontro*ersies concernin% the res!onsibility and causes of obesity are %ainin% the

attention of academic !rofessional as &ell. In 200?, arion Festle, and


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adley Balko &ere three indi*iduals &ho entered the realm of health care and

contributed their intellectual insi%ht on obesity and %o*ernmental re%ulation on food

industries. In a Times Magazinearticle, #Fot if blamin% the *ictim is Lust an e)cuse to let

industry off the hook$, &ritten by cDonalds s!end =00 million dollars on cam!ai%ns to

ensure that !eo!le buy their !roducts. #8ood industries !romoted9 unhealthy foods,

!articularly to children. ach year kids see more than 10,000 food ads on (J alone,

almost all for items like soft drinks, fast foods and su%ared cereals$ 6Bro&nell M Festle

17. o& are indi*iduals su!!ose to take !ersonal res!onsibility and eat healthier &hen

they are constantly bein% fed an ima%e that !romotes an unhealthy lifestyle3 It the

obese and o*er&ei%ht !o!ulation &ho are the *ictims and the food industries that are

the crooks' stealin% and de!ri*in% !eo!le of any chance to eat healthier. I a%ree &ith

Bro&nell and Festle in sayin% #!ersonal res!onsibility is a tra!$ 6Bro&nell and Festle7.

#(he ar%ument is startlin%ly similar to the tobacco industry efforts to sta*e off le%islati*e

and re%ulatory inter*entions. (he nation tolerated !ersonal5res!onsibility ar%uments

from Bi% (obacco for decades &ith disastrous results$ 6Bro&nell and Festle7. (hey

!arallel the obesity crisis to the tobacco industry to ser*e as an e)am!le. /ne idea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudd_Center_for_Food_Policy_and_Obesity_at_Yalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudd_Center_for_Food_Policy_and_Obesity_at_Yalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudd_Center_for_Food_Policy_and_Obesity_at_Yalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudd_Center_for_Food_Policy_and_Obesity_at_Yale


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Bro&nell belie*ed in that &as not !resented in the article &as #fat ta)$. at ta) is a ta)or

surchar%ethat is !laced u!on fattenin% foods, be*era%es or indi*iduals aim8ed9 to

discoura%e unhealthy dietsand offset the economic costs of obesity6#fat ta)$7. #8e9

!ro!osed that re*enue from Lunk5food ta)es be used to subsidi4e more healthful foods

and fund nutrition cam!ai%ns$ 6#fat ta)$7. e also belie*ed that if the !rices of the fatty

and unhealthy foods &ent u!, then &e &ould see a si%nificant shift in consum!tion.

What Bro&nell and Festle &ants us to understand is #%o*ernment should be doin%

e*erythin% it can to create conditions that lead to healthy eatin%, su!!ort !arents in

raisin% healthy children and make decisions in the interests of !ublic health rather than

!ri*ate !rofit$ 6Bro&nell and Festle7.

>ean&hile Balko, a liberal !olicy analyst at the ato Institute, ar%ues in his

article, #Go*ernment as Fo Business Interferin% &ith What ou at$, that !eo!le

should take res!onsibility for their o&n health. /n the other hand, &e ha*e food

industries, !ro5business %rou!s, and adley Balko &ho counter critici4e the o!inions

and beliefs e)!ressed by Bro&nell and Festle. Balko, an American Kibertarian &riter

and s!eaker for the ato Institute, belie*es that #instead of inter*enin% in the array of

food o!tions a*ailable to Americans, our %o*ernment ou%ht to be &orkin% to foster a

!ersonal sense of res!onsibility for our health and &ell5bein%$ 6Balko7. Balko makes it

clear that be belie*es the food industries should not be held res!onsible for the health of

others because it is a !ersonal res!onsibility. Balko o!ens his ar%ument by listin%

initiati*es taken by %o*ernment and !olitical fi%ures to sol*e the issue of unhealthy

eatin% and obesity. #-e*eral state le%islators and /akland, alif., >ayor Nerry Bro&n,

amon% others, ha*e called for a #fat ta)$ on hi%h5calorie foods. on%ress is considerin%
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surchargehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet#Unhealthy_dietshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity#Economic_impacthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surchargehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet#Unhealthy_dietshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity#Economic_impact


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menu5labelin% le%islation that &ould force chain restaurants to list fat, sodium and

calories for each itemO (his is !recisely the &ron% &ay to fi%ht obesity$ 6Balko7.

Accordin% to Balko, %o*ernment re%ulation is not the solution to combat unhealthy

eatin% and obesity. (he best &ay to sol*e obesity and unhealthy eatin% is to !romote

self res!onsibility. Balko belie*es that if one is held res!onsible for the health care cost

of unhealthy eatin%, then that indi*idual &ould alter his or hers diet. #(he best &ay to

combat the !ublic5health threat of obesity is to remo*e obesity from the realm of #!ublic

health$ $6 Balko7. Fot only does Balko !resent us &ith a lo%ical fallacy, but this idea also

!romotes discriminations a%ainst minorities, the !oor, and indi*iduals &ith disabilities or

a biolo%ical link to obesity. (he notion that Balko belie*es only throu%h a certain method

&ill this !roblem be sol*ed makes it a lo%ical fallacy. Because healthcare and obesity is

a com!le) issue, there are multi!le &ays to address the issue. -ince studies ha*e

sho&n that obesity is concentrated in a certain area, it is only natural to belie*e this !lan

is tar%eted to&ards that s!ecific %rou!. #(his e!idemic affects *irtually all a%es,

educational, ethnic, and disability %rou!s, althou%h rates are hi%hest amon% Katinos and

African Americans &ith lo&er incomes and disabilities. Balko &ishes to cut obesity from

healthcare. What he fails to reali4e is this sho&s discrimination to&ard certain %rou!s.

What about the indi*iduals &ho ha*e disabilities3 What about the !eo!le &ho li*e in

metro!olitan areas &here healthier o!tions are not a*ailable3 What about those &ho

can+t afford to eat healthier3 Balko+s solution to cut obesity from healthcare sho&s

!reLudice and discrimination to&ards those %rou!s. Balko also belie*es that health

should be a !ri*ate issue and res!onsibility, not a !ublic one. #Gi*e Americans moral

financial and !ersonal res!onsibility for their o&n health, and obesity is no lon%er a


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!ublic matter but a !ri*ate one&ith all the cost, concerns and &orries of bein%

o*er&ei%ht borne only by those !eo!le &ho are actually o*er&ei%ht. Balko tries to

create a se!aration bet&een those &ho are o*er&ei%ht and those &ho aren+t, &hich is

also another form of discrimination. Because I am o*er&ei%ht, and you are thin, should

that affect our healthcare cost3 What Balko &ants is for !eo!le #to take res!onsibility for

8their9 diet and lifestyle. 8(hey+re9 likely to make better decisions &hen someone else

isn+t !ayin% for the conse"uences$ 6Balko7.

Because the obesity crisis has sho&n minimal !ro%ress, in -e!tember of 200C,

Go*ernor of alifornia Arnold -ch&ar4ene%%er &orked collaborati*ely &ith -ecretary of

the ealth and uman -er*ice A%ency


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The California Obesity Prevention Plansu%%ests that obesity and the the

reasons for !re*ious failed attem!ts to sol*e obesity are based on three !rinci!le

factors !oor nutrition and inacti*ity, com!etin% en*ironmental forces, and fra%mented,

uncoordinated efforts. Poor nutrition and inacti*ity are causin% serious health !roblems,

includin% ty!e 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and no& comes cancers. If left

unchecked, they habits can lead to &orsenin% conditions in the future.

om!etin% en*ironmental forces !lays a substantial role in contributin% to the

de*elo!ment of obesity. While obesity results most directly from choices indi*iduals

make re%ardin% !hysical acti*ity and diet, stron% en*ironmental forces influences those

choices. A si%nificant factor as to &hy !eo!le make the choices they do &hen it comes

to food is because of con*enience and !rice. It also because a matter of a*ailability and

access. #(oo many lo&5income families must tra*el miles outside their communities to

!urchase healthy foods at reasonable !rices' the hi%her the concentration of !o*erty

&ithin the community, the fe&er the su!ermarkets. /ne study found that children &ho

li*ed in metro!olitan areas &here fruits and *e%etable &ere relati*ely e)!ensi*e %ained

si%nificantly more &ei%ht than children &ho li*ed &here fruits and *e%etables &ere

chea!er$ 6alifornia /besity Pre*ention Plan7. (ele*ision also influences &hat &e eat.

(ele*ision ads, the Internet, %ames, and the strate%ic !roduct !lacement stron%ly

influence children to !refer and re"uest hi%h5calorie, lo&5 nutrient foods and be*era%es.

Fationally, EE billion dollars are s!ent on food marketin% each year 6alifornia /besity

Pre*ention Plan7. It also becomes difficult for children to %et the recommended thirty to

si)ty minutes of daily !hysical acti*ity if nei%hborhoods lack safety and the lack of

!ro!er facilities. #nsafe streets and lack of safe !lay areas and !arks kee! children


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from bein% acti*e outside. (hose most at risk to be o*er&ei%ht, lo&5income,

ethnicallyracially di*erse communities, ha*e the least access to !arks, bike trials, and

!ublic !ools. After analy4in% the causes of obesity, I disco*ered another !roblem, lack

of access and sufficient "uality in under !ri*ile%ed communities. I disco*ered a linka%e

bet&een obesity and lo&5income and ethnically and racially di*erse communities.

urthermore, I belie*e it is e*en more crucial to find an actionable solution to this

!roblem because if &e are able to sol*e the obesity crisis, &e &ill be able to sol*e other

!roblems that affect that same %rou!. As time !rocesses and obesity becomes a bi%%er

issue, %o*ernment, businesses, and other sectors be%in to reali4e their res!onsibilities

and roles in findin% solutions. o&e*er, their efforts are not coordinated and therefore

do not achie*e ma)imum im!act. #eal chan%e &ill occur &hen %o*ernment, business,

a%riculture, schools, land use !lanners, de*elo!ers, trans!ortation, retailers, !ublic

safety, health care, and media be%in to &ork to%ether !roacti*ely and collaborati*ely to

create en*ironments that allo& !eo!le to safely inte%rate e*eryday !hysical acti*ity such

as bicyclin% or &alkin% into their li*es and to easily access affordable, healthy foods. In

reco%nition of alifornia+s %ro&in% obesity e!idemic, com!etin% en*ironmental forces

and fra%mented, uncoordinated efforts across !ri*ate and !ublic sectors, the Ke%islature

mandated that alifornia De!artment of ealth -er*ices create this strate%ic !lan to

coordinate e)istin% resources and to %uide a state&ide res!onse to the obesity crisis.

6Bud%et Act of 200=, -B , Item Q ?2C0.001.0001, Pro*ision .7. (he %oal in this !lan

build on current !ro%rams, e)istin% infrastructure, and best !ractices throu%h

en%a%ement of business, !hilanthro!ic, *oluntary, and %o*ernment sectors as e"ual

!artners 6alifornia /besity Pre*ention Plan7.


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(o start the mo*ement, in 200= Go*ernor of alifornia Arnold -ch&ar4ene%%er,

&ho is *ery !assionate about healthy eatin% and !uttin% an end to obesity, s!onsored

and si%ned le%islation bannin% Lunk food from schools, e)tended to hi%h schools a la&

bannin% sodas in elementary and middle schools, and !ro*ided fundin% for fresh fruits

and *e%etables in school means. (his &as the first initiati*e taken in riddin% the school

en*ironment of hi%h calorie, lo& nutrient foods and be*era%es that contribute to

childhood obesity. (o further sho& his commitment, the Go*ernor si%ned a 200C

bud%et that &ould s!onsor and !romote a healthier &ay of eatin% and li*in%

?0 million in on%oin% %rants to hire more credentialed !hysical education

6P7 teachers to hel! kids de*elo! healthy, life5lon% habits'

=00 million for the !urchase of P, arts, andor music su!!lies and

e"ui!ment to im!ro*e and e)!and the infrastructure of school !ro%rams'

E million to meet an increased demand for the -chool Breakfast Pro%ram

and the alifornia resh -tart Pilot Pro%ram to increase the number of

students recei*in% nutritious breakfast that include more fruit and

*e%etable choices' and

1=million to re*itali4e the -chool Garden Pro%ram so that students can

e)!erience the im!ortant educational benefits of %ro&in% fruit *e%etables,

and !lants.


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(his !lan identifies !olicy strate%ies to make sustainable chan%es in the en*ironment

that &ill result in !hysical acti*ity o!!ortunities and access to healthy affordable foods

6alifornia /besity Pre*ention Plan7.

(his !lan uses the strate%ic action taken &ith The Tobacco $%&erienceused to

!romote an en*ironmental chan%e in smokin%' (obacco control efforts be%an at the

federal le*el &ith reco%nition of the ad*erse health efforts of tobacco use, the first ste!

in the en*ironmental chan%e model. A&areness and education efforts continued &ith

the 1:CE .-. -ur%eon General+s re!ort that documented tobacco as harmful. ederal

action re"uired &arnin% labels on ci%arettes follo&ed by a ban on tele*ision ads to break

the association bet&een %lamorous lifestyle and smokin% 6alifornia /besity Pre*ention

Plan7. /fficials belie*e that because of the success of the tobacco !re*ention !lan,

results of a !lan for obesity &ould be similar if they follo& the same structure. (he

!roblem &ith tryin% to recreate a !lan such as the (obacco )!erience to sol*e this

obesity crisis is you don+t need to smoke to li*e' it isn+t a necessity. It then creates

contro*ersies' &ill a !lan that &as created for smokin% be Lust as successful for eatin%

healthy3 It becomes a debate of #smokin% *s. eatin%$. I belie*e a !re*ention !lan similar

the (obacco )!erience &ould not be successful because of the *ery different

circumstances of each !roblem. -mokin% re"uires a le%al limit, &hile eatin% unhealthy

food does not. atin% is a necessity to li*e, &hile smokin% is a social habit' it is an

o!tion and is not re"uired for sur*i*al. #(he Plan ecommendations for Action$, based

on the best !ractice tobacco e)!erience, are deri*ed from a number of ad*isory %rou!s,

forums, and meetin%s that re*ie&ed o!tions to create a healthier en*ironment. (he


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alifornia De!artment of uman -er*ices has created a four ste! !lan they belie*e

offers the most !romise to achie*e a healthier alifornia.

(he first %oal is to #ensure state le*el leadershi! and coordination that reaches

into communities across the state$. ommunication is key. reatin% a central !oint of

contact &ithin state %o*ernment &ould hel! coordinate local efforts at !romotin%

com!rehensi*e and effecti*e a!!roaches to im!ro*e the nutrition and !hysical acti*ity of

community members. Workin% &ith different sectors such as schools, entertainment,

em!loyers, and health care, &ould hel! to !romote an acti*e li*in% and healthy eatin%

en*ironments. (he !rimary function of the central !oint of contact &ould act as a

catalyst to initiate !olicy and systems chan%e to create an inte%rated, consistent

a!!roach to acti*e li*in% and healthy eatin% issues in alifornia.

(he second %oal is to #create a state&ide !ublic education cam!ai%n that frames

healthy eatin% and acti*e li*in% as alifornia li*in%$. reatin% a state&ide media

cam!ai%n &ould be an effecti*e &ay to reach the attention of both adults and youth. (he

cam!ai%n &ould focus on counterin% the !romotion of unhealthy foods' !romotin%

!hysical acti*ity in school, &ork, and !lay' reducin% the a!!eal and access of funk food

to youth, and transformin% the #American diet$ and lifestyle to one that is healthy and

encoura%es fun acti*ity. A &ay to broadcast this cam!ai%n &ould be throu%h radio,

tele*ision, billboard, and !rint ad*ertisin%.

(he third %oal &ould be to #su!!orts local assistance %rants and im!lements

multi5sectoral !olicy strate%ies to create healthy eatin% and acti*e li*in% community

en*ironments$. If healthier choices become more accessible, affordable, and socially


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acce!table, then alifornia &ould see a shift to&ards healthier lifestyles. All it takes is

im!ro*in% access, !romotion, and !artici!ation in a healthier diet and acti*e li*in% to

create a chan%e in the !hysical and social en*ironments. ecommendations for these

actions ha*e been created for all sectors ran%in% from %o*ernment to restaurants.

Go*ernment should make !re*ention a #to! !riority$ in state and local health

de!artments. (he !roblem I ha*e disco*ered &ith that is !re*ention !ro%rams ma)imi4e

the time, effort, and money of %o*ernment. rom the outside lookin% in, &e see little

concern and effort bein% !ut into !re*ention !ro%rams for obesity, but they are *ery

e)!ensi*e and time consumin%. Fot to discredit the se*erity of obesity, but I belie*e that

if %o*ernment !laces too much attention and effort on obesity, it may take a&ay time

and funds for !roblems that are more im!ortant. Go*ernment is also recommended to

encoura%e full access to !ublic facilities, such as community centers, schools, and

%o*ernment buildin%s, &hich !ro*ide !ro%rams and ser*ices that increase the amount of

daily !hysical acti*ity. Also !olicies that !ro*ide access to o!tions for healthier eatin%

and !hysical acti*ity, and ensure that food assistance !ro%rams !ro*ide healthy foods

should be de*elo!ed. Businesses should consider offerin% !hysical acti*ity, healthier

food o!tions, and lactation accommodations for their em!loyees. -tate and local

%o*ernment should also identify sources to fund !roLects for maintenance, rehabilitation,

and de*elo!ment of !arks, community %ardens, su!ermarkets, farmer+s markets, and

recreational facilities in all nei%hborhoods. (his is a %ood &ay to combat obesity

because it %i*es indi*iduals the o!!ortunity to en%a%e in !hysical acti*ity, and it is a &ay

to build u! lo&5income, ethnically and racially di*erse communities. I belie*e if these

communities ha*e the !ro!er facilities, then &e &ill notice a si%nificant decrease in


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obesity for them. -ection E.2b states em!loyers should offer healthy food at meetin%s

and e*ents, and !ro*ide incenti*es to em!loyees &ho &alk, bike, or use !ublic

trans!ortation to commute to and from &ork. m!loyers should encoura%e !hysical

acti*ity by !romotin% stair&ay use, !ro*idin% bake racks, and offer fle) time or breaks

for !hysical acti*ity. (he !roblem &ith this is em!loyees may abuse these break

!ri*ile%es and use the desi%nated !hysical acti*ity time to en%a%e in other acti*ities. It

may also be difficult to monitor &ho is actually usin% the time for !hysical acti*ity. (his

could also cause a decrease in com!any !roducti*ity. ealth care insurers can

contribute by !romotin% !re*ention as the first ste! in res!onse to obesity. (his could

!re*ent bariatric sur%ery and !harmaceuticals that are *ery e)!ensi*e. ealth care

!ro*iders should su!!ort ne& mothers in !rolon%in% breastfeedin% because it hel!s

!rotect children a%ainst obesity. amilies can do their !art by eatin% at least one healthy

meal a day as a family. Parents should monitor and reduce the *ie&in% time of

tele*ision and com!uter %ames their children !artake in. amilies should encoura%e

their children to !artici!ate in !hysical acti*ity by !artici!atin% in fun !hysical acti*ities

as a family. Another recommendation is to monitor !ortions and reduce the

consum!tion of soft drinks and foods &ith hi%h amounts of su%ar and fat. In section

E.2e, schools are e)!ected ensure that children recei*e "uality !hysical education and

!ro*ide healthy food and be*era%es for all meals a*ailable for k512 students and after5

school !ro%rams. -chools should ad*ertise healthy foods and be*era%es on school

%rounds, and !ro*ide a nutritious breakfast usin% the federal -chool Breakfast Pro%ram.

(hey should also make school recreational facilities a*ailable for after5hours by the

community. (his &ould allo& the indi*iduals &ho li*e in communities that lack facilities


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to %et the !hysical acti*ity they need. ood and be*era%e industries should ad*ertise

and !romote healthy foods and be*era%es to children and youth throu%h tele*ision,

!rint, celebrity endorsements, and cartoon characters. estaurants should !ost calorie

information on menus so costumers &ill kno& information on the meals they are

consumin% and be encoura%ed to choose healthier o!tions on the menu.

(he fourth and final %oal calls to #create and im!lement a state&ide trackin% and

e*aluation system$. By creatin% a coordinated and systematic a!!roach to trackin% and

e*aluatin% obesity, its risk factors, and health im!act then state %o*ernment has the

ability to make the information a*ailable and accessible to the community, !ro%rams,

and !olicymakers.

After e*aluatin% the information, !ro!osals, and recommendations offered by

*arious sectors of %o*ernment, I ha*e de*elo!ed a better understandin% of the !olicy

concerns facin% obesity' &ith this ne& found kno&led%e, I ha*e created my o&n

solutions to this !roblem. irst, to address the California Obesity Prevention Plan, I find

it to be a *ery thorou%h and detailed !lan for action. o&e*er, I belie*e &ith cases such

as obesity, more than a #!lan$ is in need. It becomes *ery difficult to do more and

im!lement more la&s and re%ulation because it is not ille%al to be o*er&ei%ht or obese.

(he !lan offers multi!le su%%estions and recommendations but it seems the element of

reality are absent from some of these recommendations. (he !lan e)!ects for !eo!le to

drastically alter their li*es, but the reality of the situation is much different. (oday+s

society is molded and dri*en by the mass media, and the mass media is constantly

feedin% us this ima%e of an unhealthy life style. And because businesses are !rotected

from la&s that !re*ent !eo!le from filin% la&suits a%ainst them, they &ill continue to


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Walker 1;

manufacture these !roducts. I belie*e to sol*e the obesity crisis &e must restrict and

re%ulate freed. Pre*ious attem!ts to sol*e obesity %a*e !eo!le o!tions. (hese o!tions

include the choice and access to healthier foods, but today !eo!le i%nore those o!tions

and continue to choose the unhealthy foods and be*era%es. Althou%h it may be difficult

or im!ossible to tell control &hat adults eat, it is not too late to restrict the o!tions of

children. Instead of children ha*in% the o!tion to choice a sub or a !i44a, make the sub

the only o!tion a*ailable. I belie*e if this action is carried out, children &ould be forced

to choose healthier o!tions and e*entually start to choose them on their o&n. A &ay to

reach the adults, I belie*e &e must force on an area that &ould %ain their attention and

hit them the hardest' their &allets. If state health care !ro*iders &ere to alter their

re"uirements for co*era%e, !eo!le &ould be forced to chan%e their lifestyle to fit those

re"uirements. nlike >edicare, >edicaid is a !ro%ram &here there e)!enses are

di*ided amon% the federal %o*ernment and the state. Because the state co*ers half of

the medical e)!enses, they are able to set their o&n re"uirements for co*era%e. (he

states are free to set the eli%ibility le*els 6edical. If &e alter the health re"uirements, that may encoura%e !eo!le to

start makin% better choices so they &ill be able to recei*e those benefits. /besity has

been !ro*en to be a *ery com!licated and difficult !roblem to sol*e. (here is no #ri%ht$

&ay or one s!ecific &ay to combat obesity. o&e*er, I belie*e the !olicy analysis I ha*e

!resented &ould be a start and an effecti*e &ay to sol*e this crisis.


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Walker 1:

Works ited

Balko, adley. #Go*ernment as Fo Business Interferin% With What ou at.$ C Nune

200?. Print.

Bro&nell, arion Festle. #Fot if blamin% the *ictim is Lust an e)cuse

to let industry off the hook.$ Time MagazineNune 200? 152. Print.

California Obesity Prevention Plan: A ision for Tomorro!" StrategicAction for To(ay.

200?.

152E. Print.

#heesebur%er Bill.$ C)S *e!s: Health +atch'Web>D, Inc. n.d. Web. ; Dec 2010.

#heesebur%er Bill.$ C** Politics' (urner Braodcastin% -ystem, Inc. n.d. Web. ; Dec

2010.

#hild ealth and Disability Pre*ention Pro%ram.$American >edical Association 200

)!ert ommittee ecs. 152.Aca(emic Search Premier. Web 10 Dec 2010.

#at ta).$ +i,i&e(ia. Wiki!edia oundation ,Inc. ? Dec 2010. Web. 10 Dec 2010.

urlon%, >ichael .


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all, arl (. #A(( (AF J Des!ite alarms o*er childhood obesity, aliforniaHs

kids

are !ackin% on the !ounds.$ San Francisco Chronicle2= Au% 200=. Print.

#


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a battle for a better future

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