New York study says menu labeling affects behavior

David Morgan David Morgan – Mon Oct 26, 3:57 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New York's mandate that fast-food restaurants post calorie information on their menus has changed consumer habits, the city said on Monday, contradicting a recent independent study showing no effect.

The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released preliminary data showing evidence that people bought food with fewer calories at nine of the 13 fast-food and coffee chains included in a study on the effects of menu-labeling laws that went into effect in 2008.

Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 customers at 275 locations in early 2007 and another 12,000 this year. READ MORE

IOM Report on Childhood Obesity

In the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese. The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives. While parents and other adult caregivers play a fundamental role in teaching children about healthy behaviors, those positive efforts can be undermined by local environments that are poorly suited to supporting healthy behaviors—and may even promote unhealthy behaviors. Local governments can play a crucial role in creating environments that make it easier for children to eat healthy diets and move more.

The Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention Actions for Local Governments was convened to identify promising actions that local governments can take to curb obesity among children. The committee sought action steps that are within the jurisdiction of local governments; likely to directly affect children; based on the experience of local governments or sources that work with local governments; take place outside of the school day; and have the potential to promote healthy eating and adequate physical activity. The 2009 report Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents the committee’s menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community.

You can read the report here.

New York Menu Labeling Law is Proving to Be Successful

More and more states are exploring the possibility of requiring restaurants to post calorie information on their menu boards. New York was one of the first state's to do this and they are starting to see a change in how people order when eating out.

Calorie counts on menus force hard choices

MEGAN K. SCOTT
Published: October 6, 2009
Read more: http://www.newsok.com/article/feed/88896?searched=menu%20labeling&custom_click=search#ixzz0TRxSk0EU

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

It's not often that I find someone who doesn't know someone else who has been affected by heart disease or stroke. Almost everyone can name somebody who has died of a heart related illness, or whose life was forever changed due to a stroke. I hate that these disease have to be a part of our daily lives but I love to listen to the stories from survivors or family members. It's these stories that remind me why I get out of bed every morning and drive to work.

In preparation for the upcoming legislative session I want to hear what your story is. I can talk to lawmakers all day about the importance of reducing heart attacks in our state but its stories from constituents that help me push them over the edge and convince them to vote in our favor.

So, what's your story? I would love to hear it.

(You can send your story to marilyn.davidson@heart.org. Please remember that I may use this story when promoting legislation at the capitol.)

Oklahoma Needs Your Input on It's Statewide Wellness Plan

Because you care so much about the American Heart Association's mission and the health of all Oklahoman's I am asking you to take a few minutes to voice your opinion on the Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan. Our elected officials need to know that we care about obesity issues and protecting citizens from second-hand smoke.

Input sought on Oklahoma's wellness plan
PROPOSAL: Poor health is ‘like a slow-motion’ disaster, board president says

BY SUSAN SIMPSON
Published: September 23, 2009

State leaders want Oklahoma residents to help them finalize a plan to improve the state’s health status.

The state Health Department is preparing a comprehensive Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan to submit to the Legislature in late December. Oklahomans can read the draft online and give comments until Oct. 14.

Lawmakers asked health officials to find ways to improve the "physical, social and mental wellbeing of all people in Oklahoma through a high-functioning public health system.” That’s a big job, considering Oklahoma health rankings are "always hovering around the worst in the nation,” said Barry Smith, president of the state Board of Health.

"It’s the most vulnerable populations in Oklahoma that are at the most risk,” he said.
He said Oklahomans respond to natural disasters such as tornados but don’t always rally to protect the health of their fellow citizens.

Poor health is "like a slow-motion disaster,” Smith said.

The health improvement plan addresses children’s health, tobacco use and obesity. It aims to use public health resources more effectively and emphasizes prevention of disease and injury.

"Every single Oklahoman is a stakeholder in this plan,” state Health Commissioner Terry Cline said.

Oklahomans live an average 75.5 years, more than two years less than the national average of 77.7 years, Cline said.

OnlineThe draft health improvement plan can be viewed at www.health.ok.gov.

Heart attack rates drop after smoking bans, continue downward over time

Please take a look this story about a recent study on smoke-free air laws. We have known that smoke-free laws reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and that will reduce heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer over the long term. However, more and more studies are showing that communities that pass smoke-free laws are seeing an immediate and significant reduction in heart attacks after the laws go into effect.

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DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2009 — One year after passing smoking bans, communities in North America and Europe had 17 percent fewer heart attacks compared to communities without smoking restrictions, and the number of heart attacks kept decreasing with time, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The report is a meta-analysis of 13 studies in which researchers examined changes in heart attack rates after smoking bans were enacted in communities in the United States, Canada and Europe. The researchers found that heart attack rates started to drop immediately following implementation of the law, reaching 17 percent after one year, then continuing to decline over time, with about a 36 percent drop three years after enacting the restrictions.

“While we obviously won’t bring heart attack rates to zero, these findings give us evidence that in the short- to medium-term, smoking bans will prevent a lot of heart attacks,” said James M. Lightwood, Ph.D., co-author of the study and assistant adjunct professor in the department of clinical pharmacy at the University of California–San Francisco. “The studies on this issue now have long enough follow-up periods so that we can see exactly how big the effect is.”

Lightwood also noted that the community effect is consistent with probable individual risk and exposure scenarios.

For example, according to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2009 Update, non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work have a 25 percent to 30 percent increased risk of developing heart disease. This new research suggests that the individual increased risk may be higher, said Lightwood.

“This study adds to the already strong evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, and that passing 100 percent smoke-free laws in all workplaces and public places is something we can do to protect the public,” Lightwood said. “Now we have a better understanding of how you can predict what will happen if you impose a smoking-free law.”

David Goff, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention and Professor of Public Health Sciences and Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC, and an American Heart Association national spokesperson said the paper provides strong support for the contention that smoke free laws will improve public health. “This is good evidence that the benefits are realistic and consistent with reasonable estimates of the harm imposed by secondhand smoke,” Goff said.

“It is important to move forward now with widespread implementation of smoke-free laws,” he added. “At a time of great concern over the financial sustainability of our healthcare system, smoke free laws represent an inexpensive approach to reducing heart attacks, and, probably, other cardiovascular conditions.”

Governor Holds Ceremonial Bill Signing for SB745

Yesterday, Governor Brad Henry held a ceremonial bill signing for SB745. Staff and advocates came to the Capitol to witness the signing and get their picture taken with the Governor.

AHA staff at the bill signing with Dr. Mary Ann Bauman and Advocacy Member Tara Proctor.