In This Issue

Take1: Collaborative to Develop the Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategic Plan
San Jose Mercury News Reprint
Take2: Westfield Mall Partnership ~ First 5 F.A.N Club
Take3: ‘Tis the Holiday Season: How to Make Yours Healthy and Happy
Take4: Westfield and First 5 California Unmask Children's Staggering Sugar Consumption in Time for the Holiday Season
Take 5: First 5 California Brings Messages of Health to the Latino Community
Commission Chair Cora Tomalinas Receives 2007 California Peace Prize

Take1: Collaborative to Develop the Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategic Plan

In May 2007, the FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Commission approved a planning grant to develop a strategic plan to support the prevention and treatment of early childhood obesity among Santa Clara County children through age five. This planning project will culminate with a presentation to the FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Commission on a comprehensive, county-wide strategic plan that includes recommended strategies and activities that will address the causes and effects of early childhood obesity as well as gaps in programs and services to prevent and treat childhood obesity. This strategic plan will enhance the current FIRST 5 System of Care.

In order to create this strategic plan, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County has formed an Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Collaborative comprised of local decision-makers involved in the following communities: government, health care, children’s services, child care, and non-profits. The Collaborative is co-chaired by FIRST 5 and Dr. Dan Delgado. Supervisor Ken Yeager is the chair of the Collaborative’s policy workgroup. The strategic plan developed by the Collaborative will address the early childhood sector of Healthy Silicon Valley, an initiative of the Health Trust.

The Collaborative will help to solicit community input and endorse and promote the final strategic plan. Additional input in the formation of the plan was also obtained from over 150 participants who attended community input meetings. Attendees included parents, child care providers, policy makers, as well as leaders from neighborhood groups, non-profit, and public agencies. Parent groups were conducted in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

The strategic plan will be completed in the spring of 2008 and will form the framework of what FIRST 5 Santa Clara County will focus on for obesity prevention. For more information, please contact: Jo Seavey-Hultquist, FIRST 5 Grant Specialist, at Joanne@first5kids.org or (408) 260-3720.

San Jose Mercury News Reprint

Aggressive action needed to reduce childhood obesity
By Ken Yeager, Santa Clara County Supervisor
(reprint from November 21, 2007, San Jose Mercury News)

Parents hear about it at schools, from pediatricians, and in the media. Obesity in children is of epidemic proportions. In fact, government projections show that children born in 2000 have a one-in-three lifetime risk of diabetes. Currently, almost one in six California children from birth to 5 years old is overweight.

Although information about the medical problems related to obesity is everywhere, parents face a daunting challenge when trying to change behavior. Cartoon characters wave at children from cereal boxes filled with sugar and fat, convenience stores offer few or no healthy eating options, and low-income areas are crowded with fast-food restaurants.

One thing is clear: Solving a problem as massive in scope as childhood obesity can't be accomplished in small, timid steps. Government, the private sector and schools must do more if substantial change is to occur.

In partnership with First 5 Santa Clara County, I invited local elected officials to join me for an October meeting to brainstorm ways to prevent obesity in children and adults. More than a dozen leaders from throughout the county attended the meeting or sent representatives.

When it comes to children from birth to 5, there are promising strategies to prevent obesity. These include increasing breast-feeding; improving feeding and eating practices for young children; and reducing television watching and marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

For teenagers and adults, one of the worst culprits is the fast-food industry. When a burger, fries, and soft drink or shake can total half to three-quarters of a typical adult's daily 2,000-calorie intake, it is obvious that part of the solution lies with more regulation of fast-food restaurants. Requiring the posting of the calorie content of items on fast food menus was one alternative that elected officials discussed at our meeting.

Why is this important? Surveys show that most Americans underestimate by almost half the amount of calories contained in food. If adults are clueless, what chance do kids or adolescents have? Another problem for children and adults is the over-concentration of fast-food restaurants, particularly in low-income areas. In one Los Angeles neighborhood, about 20 fast-food restaurants are packed onto a quarter-mile stretch of road. The city of Los Angeles is considering a moratorium on fast-food restaurants in such neighborhoods, which is another option local governments can consider in their efforts to keep residents healthy.

Local governments should incorporate healthy habits in their land use planning, in much the same way as they take environmental concerns into account. General plans often ensure that neighborhoods include places where families can be active, such as parks and trails. The city of San Jose, which has embarked on a review of its general plan, needs to go further by insisting on more outlets that sell healthy foods and by discouraging fast-food restaurants that sell only high-calorie meals. Farmers markets should be supported.

Schools need to do more. A bill by state Sen. Elaine Alquist, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has finally banned trans fats from school cafeterias. This is great news, but why did it take a new state law to protect the health of kids when schools have known about the ill effects of trans fats for years? Schools must serve more nutritious foods, and exercise needs to be part of every school program. Parents and residents do not need to wait for government to take action. Just as with saving the environment, we can use our voices and pocketbooks to make a difference. If enough consumers complain, grocery and convenience stores will eventually carry more healthy options. If stores don't cooperate, then I hope we return to the days of economic boycotts to show that parents are serious in demanding that their kids have access to healthy foods.

Local officials have a responsibility to protect our communities. It is time for elected leaders to add healthy eating and exercise to this mission. The gathering of elected officials with First 5 Santa Clara County was the first step in that direction. For the sake of our kids, we must quicken the pace if we are to save a whole generation from a fate of ill health.

FIRST 5 honored with YMCA Activate America Award

FIRST 5 was recently chosen as a YMCA Activate America Award recipient! This award is in recognition of our pro-active efforts in leading the Early Childhood Obesity Collaborative, an initiative launched by FIRST 5 Santa Clara County. The collaborative is committed to developing strategies and policies that promote healthy and nutritious lifestyles for families with young children.

Launched in 2004, YMCA Activate America is an ambitious public health initiative that is seeking to make healthy living a reality for millions of Americans by directly helping individuals and families live healthier lives, and by helping YMCAs lead their communities and the nation to reduce barriers and increase supports for healthy living.

Take2: Westfield Mall Partnership ~ First 5 F.A.N Club

First 5 California is partnering with Westfield’s 23 shopping malls throughout the state to deliver First 5 Fitness and Nutrition (F.A.N.) Club childhood obesity prevention messages. The partnership consists of branding, message placement and collateral distribution, valuing nearly $1.5 million.

Each Westfield location offers a number of amenities for young families including family lounges, indoor play areas, Kids Clubs, story time and “expectant parking” for soon-to-be mothers, among others.

Westfield operates 23 family-friendly malls, including 2 in Santa Clara County:

• Westfield Valley Fair
• Westfield Oakridge

Look for our local FIRST 5 Santa Clara County collateral, nutrition posters and California Health Insurance information posted in the family lounge nursing stations and offered at the concierge centers at both Valley Fair and Oakridge Malls!

Take3: ‘Tis the Holiday Season: How to Make Yours Healthy and Happy

The holiday season is upon us and with it brings the joy of family, food and fun. However, holiday celebrations can encourage some to take a holiday from a healthy lifestyle. Set the example for your family by using the holidays as a time to build healthy habits together.

FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, along with the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, offers the following tips on how to keep the holidays as healthy as they are happy.

Stay active

Having healthy holidays begins by staying active, no matter what the circumstances.
• Spend quality time with family and friends by exercising together. Go with your family on a walk in the park or around the neighborhood. Make your walk festive by looking at holiday lights. If weather is a factor, try walking indoors at a shopping center or simply around your home.
• Make exercise fun with your kids by playing active games like freeze tag, leap frog and hide-and-seek.
• Limit time spent in front of the television to only two hours per day or less.
  
  Eat healthier
  
  Keep healthy food choices a top priority at holiday gatherings this year.
• Serve fruits, vegetables and nuts instead of chips and sweets.
• Help control the urge to overeat by offering small portions. Put food on small plates and limit the number of helpings served.
• Try substituting healthier ingredients for recipe ingredients high in fat or sugar. For example, mix in applesauce instead of oil for baking with less fat.
  
  Encourage holiday safety
  
  While the holidays are most known for the fun they share, the season can also bring with it added dangers. Help protect loved ones for a healthy holiday season.
• Remove and dispose of all wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and bags immediately after unwrapping gifts. These materials can be a fire danger and a choking hazard for young children.
• Place all holiday decorations away from fireplaces, portable heaters and radiators. Also, make sure decorations do not block doorways.
• If buying toys for young children, be sure to check all tags and labels to make sure the toys are appropriate for the children’s ages. Young children can be injured by toys with small parts, toys that plug into electrical outlets or toys with long pull strings.
• For more safety tips, download the Toy Safety Guide produced by Congressman Mike Honda and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren on our website – www.FIRST5Kids.org
  
  
  
  

Take4: Westfield and First 5 California Unmask Children's Staggering Sugar Consumption in Time for the Holiday Season

As part of a kick-off event announcing its new partnership with Westfield, First 5 California held a press event to call attention to recent research on children's excessive sugar consumption. First 5 California Executive Director Kris Perry unveiled a 6-foot tall tower filled with the average 4- to 5-year-old's annual intake of sugar - 64.6 pounds!

State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton and Westfield Regional Vice President Thomas Tierney also joined Perry in informing parents and caregivers about the importance of making healthy choices for their children and providing alternatives to sugary snacks during the holiday season.

Take5: First 5 California Brings Messages of Health to the Latino Community

In honor of October’s Hispanic Heritage month, First 5 California and internationally-recognized Chef LaLa presented a pair of flavorful recipes that celebrate Latin cuisine. The wholesome recipes developed by the certified nutritionist and celebrity chef are meant to inspire parents and their young children to prepare easy-to-make snacks that are both healthy and delicious.

Recent studies indicate that the number of Latino children who are overweight is rising at an alarming rate. What’s more, the obesity epidemic is contributing to the growing number of children who later in life develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Working against this trend, First 5 California recently partnered with Chef LaLa to create a 10-recipe bilingual cookbook that will feature nutritious recipes with a definitive Latin flavor for families with young children. The recipes released this month are a preview of what the cookbook will include — healthy dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as nutrition tips. The free cookbook will be released statewide early next year.





Arroz Confeti SPANISH
Arroz Confeti
Fruta con Granola Recipe Flyer SPANISH
Fruta con Granola Recipe Flyer

Commission Chair Cora Tomalinas Receives 2007 California Peace Prize

The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) honored three community leaders with its 15th annual California Peace Prize at a ceremony in San Francisco on November 14, 2007. In recognition of their efforts to prevent violence and promote peace, the honorees each received a cash award of $25,000. Honorees included Casey Gwinn of San Diego, Patricia Lee of San Francisco and Cora Tomalinas of San Jose.

A former nurse, and a current full-time volunteer and community activist, Cora Tomalinas has been an advocate for health and peace for three decades. She currently works with the San Jose Police Department and other community entities to combat gang crimes and provide educational opportunities for at-risk youth. Cora Tomalinas was recently asked by city officials to serve on the City of San Jose's delegation of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network, a collaborative in 13 cities of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the National League of Cities.

Cora Tomalinas is also Chair of the FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Commission and a Board Member of the San Jose Education Foundation. In her community work, she strives to connect systems and services so that they work together effectively to provide the support that parents need to keep their children healthy and safe.

Congratulations Commissioner Tomalinas!