Dear Shape Up SF Coalition Member,

On Feb 24, Governor Schwarzenegger and President Clinton hosted a follow up summit to the Governor's seminal 2005 Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity. I was honored to participate in the event to represent Shape Up SF and the City's efforts to prevent chronic disease. The energy ran high as Schwarzenegger outlined legislative efforts to ensure drinking water at schools, banning sports drink sales at schools and requiring afterschool programs to offer daily physical activity for participants.

In an interesting moment, President Clinton acknowledged that US subsidies for commodities play a role in the obesity epidemic claiming that he is "both a victim of and perhaps complicit in" related health outcomes. The audience cheered the efforts of Senator Florez to place a one-cent per teaspoon of sugar tax on sweetened beverages and First Lady Obama's "Let's Move" initative. Representatives discussed the need to improve school lunch, increase PE and incorporate "health in all policy." San Francisco had a moment in the sun when Robert Ogilvie, Public Health Law and Policy, addressed "health in all policy" giving a shout out to the Southeast Food Access Working Group's efforts (and those of Redevelopment and Public Health) to improve access to healthy food in the Bayview Hunters' Point.

With all this state and national attention focused on the issue, we in San Francisco continue to work locally to create change. In the meantime, I urge you to log your Walking Challenge miles or if you haven't yet joined, to do so now!

-Christina Goette

Meeting Reminder: Join us at our April Coalition meeting to learn more about the impacts of the Child Nutrition Authorization Act. Guest speakers: Kumar Chandran and Tia Shamada from the California Food Policy Advocates.

April 14 from 2 - 4 PM; DCYF, 1390 Market St. Suite 900

 March 2010

SUSF at Childhood Obesity Conference

Michael Pollan, David Kessler, and Michael Krasny at CCPHA's 10th anniversary.

Pail of dirt, compliments of CCPHA.

Shape Up SF Gold Medal Partners:

What is Shape Up SF doing?
Symposium on Food & Addiction at UCSF
Childhood Obesity Training
Physical Activity Council
Walking Challenge
Rethink Your Drink
Southeast Food Access
Safe Routes to School
Food Policy
Shape Up @ Work

What can I do?
Be informed.  Bills to improve access to water/restrict access to sugar-sweetened drinks.
Collaborate. Summer Collaborative
Activate. Sunday Streets - the first one is March 14!
Advocate. Ensure Health, Equity & Safety are part of California's Next Transportation Plan
Participate. Rec Park Update; AT&T Giant Race.

SUSF presents at Food & Addiction Symposium By Marianne Szeto and Susana Hennessey-Lavery

On February 19, UCSF's Center for Obesity, Assessment, Study and Treatment organized a one-day symposium for the Bay Area research community to bring awareness to the problem of how certain foods can cause an addictive-like state in the brain and are a hidden cause behind the nation’s obesity epidemic. Among a number of research scientists from across the country, the symposium featured an insightful keynote address by Dr. Kelly Brownell, the founder of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. SFDPH staff, Susana Hennessey-Lavery and Marianne Szeto presented on policy and community strategies to change the food environment in San Francisco including the Mayor's Healthy and Sustainable Food Directive, citywide initiatives such as, Soda Free Summer and the Southeast Food Access (SEFA) Working Group's work to promote a robust food system in BVHP.

 By Marianne Szeto

Members of the PAC have met with more than half of the Board of Supervisors, sharing with them our accomplishments, and letting them know about the policy research and the report of policy recommendations to be completed this June. Outreach to community-based organizations is underway.  Preliminary policy recommendations will be presented at the March 17 Physical Activity Council quarterly meeting. The Board of Supervisors have been invited to attend and provide feedback on recommendations. For more info about the PAC, contact Marianne.  (back to top)

Shape Up SF 2010 Walking Challenge: March 1 - May 7
By Amy Portello Nelson

The 4th Annual Shape Up Walking Challenge has begun! Engage in friendly competition and create social support to help you remain active long after the 10-week challenge is over. Shape Up will be sending weekly newsletters with tips, reminders, local resources, events and contests to help your team stay moving. Don't forget to log your miles at www.shapeupsfwalkingchallenge.org.

If you have any questions, contact us at shapeup@dcyf.org. 

Momentum Builds Behind Rethink Your Drink Campaign By Marianne Szeto

On March 3, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy celebrated its 10th Anniversary and announced its newest statewide policy priority: reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and acknowledged the Bay Area’s Rethink Your Drink initiative for setting the stage for current policy work to reduce sweetened drink consumption. The Bay Area was the first region to implement the campaign, and it has since grown to seven regions across the state.  
Shape Up is hosting two Sugar Savvy Train-the-Trainer workshops. If your organization plans to implement the SFS campaign, please attend one of these trainings. Download a flyer (PDF) to post at your organization.

April 21 and May 19 from 10-11:30 AM
30 Van Ness Ave., Suite 2300
RSVP by email to marianne.szeto@sfdph.org

Prizes/Incentives
Shape Up is also excited to announce that we have a partnership with Cynergreen a company that manufactures eco-friendly stainless steel water bottles. We will be branding bottles with the Shape Up and Rethink Your Drink logo for $5.50/bottle. If your organization would like to purchase bottles to offer as prizes or incentives at your site, please contact Marianne. Minimum orders are 65 bottles.

Partnership
If you know of any organizations who might be interested in supporting and helping to fund the RYD campaign - or if you are an organization who is interested in integrating RYD into your existing programs, please contact Marianne at marianne.szeto@sfdph.org.  (back to top)

 Improving Food Access By Christina Goette
Due to SEFA members advocacy efforts, the Redevelopment Agency is offering a contract with renowned grocery store designer John Sutti to develop a business plan for SuperSave. After the business plan is complete, the Redevelopment Commission will consider offering a low interest loan to Supersave to improve store layout and fresh food offerings. Related to these efforts, Public Health Law and Policy recently posted a podcast focusing on the SuperSave efforts. Additionally, the organization's director and podcast narrator, Robert Ogilvie, acknowledged the work of SEFA at the Governor's Summit to Governor Schwarzenegger and President Clinton.

Food Guardian (FG) Project Update By Sabrina Wu
SEFA FGs have been engaged in trainings on surveying and interviewing skills and grocery store assessments.  They have been visiting BVHP community sites to survey  parents about their families' grocery shopping experiences and eating habits to better understand food access issues and nutritional status of the neighborhood.  FGs have spoken with community members at Southeast Health Center, Burnett Children's Center, Malcolm X Academy, Hunters Point Head Start, and Whitney Young Child Development Center.  They will complete a total of 380 surveys in English, Spanish, and Cantonese by the end of April.  The FGs have also begun assessing food retailers in BVHP on healthy food availability and pricing and will be working with SEFA on a set of standards for future assessments. 

If you work with parents in BVHP who would be interested in participating for a $10 cash incentive, contact us at sefa.foodguardianproject@gmail.com or 415-581-2444.  
 

Safe Routes to School SF is in full swing! By Ana Validzic

Spring has arrived, and the SF Bicycle Coalition is conducting pedestrian safety classes for 2nd graders and bike classes and rodeos for 4th graders at our first 5 participating schools.  The SFPD has been placing portable speed radar trailers around the school perimeter.

Bike to School Day is on April 15! If you're interested in leading a "bike train", attend a training. Visit the website for details.

The 2010 Bike to School Day Poster contest winners will be announced tomorrow. This year's theme was "If I ride..." and was open to all students in the SF Unified School District. Stay tuned for the winners. For info about SRTS-SF contact Ana Validzic (415) 581-2478 or ana.validzic@sfdph.org.  (back to top)

Food Policy Update By Paula Jones
New urban gardens are opening on public land. Project Homeless Connect's garden is officially open and is located on the East side of Octavia between Page and Oak. There is another one on the corner of McAllister and Larkin. 

Hayes Valley Farm (HVF) is an education and research project with a focus on urban agriculture. Situated on the city-owned lots bordered by Oak, Fell, Laguna, and Octavia streets, the project is organized by an alliance of urban farmers, educators, and designers that comprise the HVF Project Team. HVF is a Parks Partner, a fiscally sponsored project of the San Francisco Parks Trust.

The project is founded on an interim use agreement between Hayes Valley Farm and the City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development- a two to five year time frame - until which time the City moves forward with other development plans for the site.

Get involved in these and other urgan agriculture projects both on public and private land. Visit the SF Permaculture Guild's website for a volunteer calendar, and other opportunities to get involved.

What can I do?  

Be informed. Be informed and go to your elected officials to show your support for these bills that will improve the beverage environment.

SB 1255 would ban the sale of sports drinks at CA public schools during school hours.
SB 1413 would require CA public schools to provide access to free and safe drinking water in school food service areas by 2012.
AB2084 would require a licensed child day care facility to follow specified guidelines relating to the provision of beverages.
SB1210 would impose a tax upon every sweetened beverage manufacturer, concentrate manufacturer, or other person who makes the first sale in this state of a sweetened beverage or concentrate of a rate of $0.01 per teaspoon of sugar placed into the sweetened beverage or equivalent amount of concentrate.

Activate.
Sunday Streets is back with NINE events this year! Check out the website for dates, route information and to volunteer. Sunday Streets is also looking to hire a volunteer coordinator and interns.

If you'd like to volunteer to staff the Shape Up table, please contact Marianne at marianne.szeto@sfdph.org. Shifts are just 2 hours, so there is plenty of time for you to enjoy the route.

Collaborate.
Calling all summer providers: Summer collaborative being formed by New Day for Learning

• Did you know that the loss of learning over the summer accounts for over half of the achievement gap between lower and higher income children in this country?
• Did you know that for the first time in our history, children GAIN weight over the summer?
• AND, the egregious budget cuts in education have forced the SFUSD to eliminate summer school for all but a handful of students.

SF's NEW DAY FOR LEARNING is addressing these problems by organizing a collaborative to better plan and coordinate our resources over the summer, rally around common learning and physical activity goals, improve outreach to our youth with least access to summer enrichment, and offer exciting professional development on incorporating enrichment and physical activity strategies into summer programs.

Organizations participating in the collaborative, which already has over 20 members, include: California Academy of Sciences, Recreation and Parks Department, YMCA, MoMagic, Crissy Fields Center, and Aim High. The Packard Foundation and the National Summer Learning Association are providing support to this effort. For more information, contact Margaret Brodkin, Jamie Harris or Melanie Hopson at New Day for Learning - brodkinm@sfusd.edu; harrisj@sfusd.edu; smithm@sfusd.edu - phone: 355-2202.  

Advocate. 
Help Ensure that Health, Equity and Safety are part of California's Next Transportation Plan
Between February 16th and April 6th, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will host a series of 6 public workshops throughout the state to guide the development of California's next Transportation Plan, CTP 2035. Click here for details.

This is an important opportunity to influence California's long-range transportation funding and decision making. Please consider attending the meeting closest to you, speaking during public comment periods, and sharing this information widely with your networks. Contact Sandra Viera at sandra@preventioninstitute.org if you are planning to attend a meeting.

Participate.
Recreation and Parks Update By John Murphy
I am an intern at the SF Recreation and Parks Dept until May. In the next few months, I will be the point of contact for Shape Up to integrate the Walking Challenge and Soda Free Summer into RPD's existing programs as well as training and bringing my colleagues up to speed on all aspects of the program before my internship ends.

RPD was excited to participate in the Summer Resource Fair last Saturday, March 6th, at the Concourse Exhibition Center. The free event showcased over 200 summer activities for children, youth, and families. RPD was there with a complete listing of all recreational opportunities, summer camps, and more to take part in. If you didn't have a chance to make it, we're happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and are excited to announce that all of our summer programs will be Soda Free. San Francisco Rec and Parks wants you to get out and play! Visit us online.

This new, San Francisco road race will feature a half marathon and 5K.  The AT&T Giants Race has joined forces with two existing races, Project Open Hand’s Plate to Plate 5K Run/Walk and Mayor Newsom’s Stadium to Stadium Run (which Shape Up has sponsored for the past two years). As a member of Shape Up SF, you can get discounts off the half marathon and 5k registration price. Download the flyer for details (PDF).   Register at www.sfgiants.com/giantrace. (back to top)