BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 161|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 161
Author: Dickinson (D)
Amended: 8/15/12 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 53-21, 08/22/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Food literacy awareness month
SOURCE : The California Food Literacy Center
DIGEST : This resolution declares the month of September
of each year as food literacy awareness month.
ANALYSIS :
Resolution findings:
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.
Comments
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According to the author's office, 38% of children in
California are overweight and only 14% of Americans eat
five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. The author's
office 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.
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
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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 rural food desert
areas, where closing the distance to nutritional food
access can be challenging on foot.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/29/12)
The California Food Literacy Center (source)
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : 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.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 53-21, 08/22/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley,
Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter,
Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong,
Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall,
Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Lara,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Pan,
Perea, V. Manuel P�rez, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio,
Swanson, Torres, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A.
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ACR 161
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P�rez
NOES: Conway, Donnelly, Fletcher, Beth Gaines, Garrick,
Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jones, Knight, Logue,
Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Silva,
Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Cook, Gorell, Roger
Hern�ndez, Norby, Olsen
JJA:d 8/29/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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