TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to work with City Manager and Department of Health and Human Services to draft a H.E.A.L. Cities Resolution, based on the draft, and return to City Council within 30 days for approval.
DISCUSSION
The Healthy Eating Active Living Cities (H.E.A.L Cities) Campaign is a partnership between the League of California Cities and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, aimed at working with California cities to adopt policies that improve the physical activity and food environment for all residents through training, technical assistance and publicity.
The first step for a city interested in participation is to adopt the HEAL CITIES ResolutiOn, meant to support policies combating obesity and encouraging healthier, active lifestyles.
Obesity is a major public health crisis that threatens both the physical and economic well-being of our City, State, and Nation. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in America over the past three decades, and today, nearly 1 in 3 children is overweight or obese, according to national statistics.
Last year, the Press Telegram reported that data collected by LBUSD over the last 8 years showed nearly half of all fifth, seventh and ninth graders are overweight or obese by Federal standards.
Obesity rates are significantly higher in low-income areas, but similar across neighborhoods, grades and demographics. Neighborhoods with a high concentration of mini markets have higher rates of obesity.
Health experts, including the United States Surgeon General, the Center for Disease Control, the California Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Medical Association, among others, have identified major risk factors for childhood obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems that incur for society a tremendous social and economic cost. Obesity is caused by a combination of...
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