BILL ANALYSIS �
ACR 161
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ACR 161 (Dickinson)
As Amended August 15, 2012
Majority vote
HEALTH 11-5
--------------------------------
|Ayes:|Monning, Atkins, Bonilla, |
| |Eng, Gordon, Hayashi, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, Bonnie |
| |Lowenthal, Mitchell, Pan, |
| |Williams |
| | |
|-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Logue, Garrick, Mansoor, |
| |Nestande, Silva |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Declares the month of September of each year as food
literacy awareness month. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes a number of findings and declarations related to
understanding the impact of food choices on one's health, the
environment, and the community.
2)Proclaims the month of September of each year as food literacy
awareness month in California to promote food education,
inspire food choices that are good for people and good for the
planet, encourage parental involvement, and motivate
communitywide support.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : According to the author, 38% of children in
California are overweight and only 14% of Americans eat five
servings of fruits and vegetables daily. The author states that
our current food system is taking a toll on our health, the
environment, our kids, and our communities. The author believes
that this resolution is needed to empower Californians to become
food literate in order to enable them to make more informed
choices and help build a sustainable food system and healthier
communities throughout the state.
ACR 161
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According to the California HealthCare Foundation 2006 report,
Chronic Disease in California: Facts and Figures, nearly half
of all Americans live with a chronic medical condition, and that
number is expected to rise by 25% in the next two decades as the
baby boomers age. The report states, in California, 14 million
people (38%) live with at least one chronic condition. More
than half of this group has multiple chronic conditions, further
affecting their quality of life and increasing health care
costs.
It is no secret that obesity is a problem in America. According
to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more
than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese and
approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents (17%) ages
two to 19 years are now obese. Obesity-related conditions
include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types
of cancer, all among the leading causes of death for Americans.
Many obese children are now diagnosed with health problems
previously considered to be "adult" illnesses, such as type 2
diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity can affect a person's
joints, breathing, sleep, mood and energy levels. It can also
cause complications for other unrelated health conditions that
may require longer hospital stays, longer recovery times, and
increase risk to patients experiencing co-morbidities.
Congress requested in the Food Conservation and Energy Act of
2008, that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) study food
deserts and issue their findings. According to their report
"Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and
Understanding their Consequences (USDA report)," a food desert
is a food environment unsupportive of health; it is defined by
barriers which restrict access to healthy foods such as, lack of
access to food retailers, availability of nutritious foods, or
affordability of foods.
The main factor used to classify a community as a food desert is
distance from nutritional food retailers. There is no standard
for "inadequate" access or "adequate" access to foods. Access
to food is calculated by distance of consumer residence to
nearest supermarket or grocery store. Residents of food desert
areas have no alternative but to utilize private cars, travel
several miles on foot, or use public transit to gain access to
healthy food. Consumers without cars are dependent on food
sources in their closest proximity. The problem increases in
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rural food desert areas, where closing the distance to
nutritional food access can be challenging on foot.
The sponsor of this resolution, the California Food Literacy
Center, writes in support that when individuals are taught how
to cook with fresh fruits and vegetables, they are 85% more
likely to incorporate them into their diet. The sponsor states
that this resolution will be a useful tool in promoting
community food education and helping to activate partners around
the state to work with children and their families to teach and
inspire food literacy.
Analysis Prepared by : Cassie Royce / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0004939