MOCAN Meeting

April 24, 2014

Bradford Farms

Skipping Introductions except for new member – Terry Whaley

1.  Infographics

  1. Draft – Childcare Group
  2. Tri-fold Brochure – Need additional information
  3. Problems, Causes, Consequences & Solutions

2.  FDA Nutrition Labels

  1. Any MOCAN group comments?

3.  Sustainability

  1. Moving forward with Voices for Food Grant
  2. Received funds from DHSS
  3. In process and have submitted other grants
  4. Need speakers and donations

4.  Adobe Connect with Margo Wootan – see Power Point

  1. Menu Labeling
  2. People eating out twice as much
  3. Splurge mentality when eating out
  4. Eating out linked to obesity
  5. Often restaurant foods aren’t nutritious and are higher in calories
  6. A few restaurants list calories for meals
  7. Even professional dietitians underestimate number of calories in restaurant meals
  8. National Menu Labeling
  9. Requires Chain Restaurants to provide calories on menu/menu board
  10. Standard menu items will be determined by the restaurant
  11. A menu item is a serving
  12. Menu labeling for states and localities
  13. Has to be consistent with federal standards
  14. Menu labeling on public property
  15. Federal concessions
  16. Vending operations
  17. Does Menu Labeling Affect food choices?
  18. Need big studies with large sample size
  19. One study found 1 in 6 people see and use calorie board
  20. Reduced lunch by 100 calories
  21. Starbucks Study – 6% decrease in calories
  22. Policy Can Make a Difference
  23. Trans Fat – lower levels of consumption thru because of labeling
  24. Menu Labeling Reformulation
  25. Incentives for companies
  26. Fast Food Restaurants have decreased 40 calories per meal
  27. FDA sent Menu Labeling Regulations to the White House – should be coming out soon
  28. Supermarkets vs. Restaurants
  29. Supermarkets are selling pre-packaged foods (rotisserie chicken etc..) and should have to provide menu labeling
  30. Movie Theaters
  31. High calorie foods
  32. Many are complying with providing nutrition information
  33. Alcohol Labeling in Restaurants
  34. Law requires post calories for all menu items
  35. Alcohol – 5th largest source of calories in adult diets
  36. Mud Slide – TGIF – over 700 calories
  37. Vending Machine Labeling
  38. FDA proposed Vending Companies to post calories next to machines with posters and pamphlets instead of on the machines –this doesn’t work
  39. Menu Labeling Education
  40. People don’t always see the menu labeling at first
  41. Need education and promotion campaigns
  42. Most people use package nutrition information to make better choices
  43. Children’s Meals
  44. Improve nutritional quality
  45. Some policies in California have been passed to improve quality
  46. Social Media Used to Take Action
  47. Questions
  48. When the regulations come out, when will restaurants & other organizations be required to make the menu labeling changes?
  49. Timeline – Probably about one year
  50. Comment – Do you think reducing 100 calories per Fast Food Meal is beneficial?
  51. Several – yes
  52. Would lose 7 lbs/year
  53. Any research regarding customers perceptions about labeling? Do folks sometime think it will have less flavor?
  54. Literature on healthy food symbols is mixed. Depends on restaurant and menu.
  55. Subway – huge success
  56. Other restaurants – has not worked so well
  57. Healthy food symbol doesn’t work as well as listing the calories
  58. Depends on quality of menu items
  59. Vending – same requirements as restaurants with 20 or more sites?
  60. Yes, any vendor that posts 20 or more machines will have to post labeling
  61. How will the regulations be enforced?
  62. Add to Inspections
  63. End Adobe Connect

5.  Break

6.  Polk County Restaurant Labeling Project – Michelle Morris & Sandra Zanaboni

  1. Live Well Restaurant Initiative – See Power Point
  2. Partnering with Department of Health & Senior Services
  3. Toolkit
  4. Benefits
  5. Built stronger relationship
  6. Improved food choices
  7. Opportunity to reach more people and families
  8. Increased number of healthy food choices
  9. Helped consumer make healthier choices
  10. Table Tents for restaurants
  11. Dining Cards that have Live Well restaurants listed
  12. Increased partnership with restaurants
  13. Incentives for restaurants – Publicity (online/TV/FB)
  14. Criteria to becoming a Live Well Restaurant
  15. Smoke-free facility
  16. Using Seasonal & locally grown
  17. Nutrition – support dietary guidelines
  18. At least two menu items that meet criteria
  19. Entrées
  20. Fruits/protein/whole grains/non-starchy vegetable
  21. Less than 750 calories & 9 grams fat
  22. Assemble Necessary Resources
  23. Expected Expenses
  24. Staff Training
  25. Printing Fees
  26. Nutritional Analysis Software
  27. Outreach & Application Assistance
  28. Determine Eligibility
  29. Benefits
  30. Paid Advertisements
  31. Evaluation
  32. Patron Survey
  33. Restaurants should be surveyed 6 months after starting Live Well Program
  34. Keys to Program Success & Tips
  35. Communication
  36. Analysis of Menu Items
  37. View restaurants as partners
  38. Have a plan, find a common denominator, keep it brief & understand the differences, they are there to make money
  39. Offer a, “hook” (press release, FB coverage…)
  40. Challenges
  41. They are BUSY
  42. Many prepare meals by memory & don’t measure
  43. New for 2014 Polk County Memorandum of Understanding
  44. Restaurants will submit recipes OR nutritional analysis
  45. Questions
  46. Have any restaurants documented any change in sales after becoming a Live Well Restaurant?
  47. Small restaurants haven’t noticed a sales difference, but servers notice people are ordering from the Table Tents
  48. Were any Fast Food restaurants (Dairy Queen) given latitude to change menu?
  49. No. Some easily qualified (Subway), but tried to find an item or two to qualify
  50. Some tried changing a product to comply
  51. Some would provide a healthier choice, just wasn’t necessarily listed as a menu item
  52. How many restaurants are Live Well Restaurants?
  53. 2013 – 17 restaurants
  54. Polk County – 30,000 people
  55. No Restaurant Association in Polk County
  56. In the future, will you think about lowering Sodium
  57. Has been difficult
  58. Will always be trying to raise awareness
  59. Next step – to work with schools – cafeterias and calorie counts

7.  MOCAN Business

  1. Infographics
  2. Working to complete & set a date for Legislative visits (December or early January)
  3. Education not lobbying
  4. Doodle will be sent to those interested in participating in visits
  5. Update – Bills
  6. Insurance Coverage for treatment of Eating Disorders
  7. House Bill 1493
  8. Senate Bill 769 – will be voted on in the next week or so – Senate.Mo.Gov or House.Mo.Gov
  9. Senate Bill 934 – would allow schools to do obesity assessment for children with parental counseling, and insurance coverage – has not seen any action – first time filed
  10. SNAP Pilot Project with Farmers Markets – three different bills which are progressing
  11. Senate Bill 727 & 850 & Sales Tax Exemption
  12. House Bill 1861 – SNAP + prevent people from spending benefits in other states
  13. Elections
  14. Steering Committees
  15. Chair/Co-Chair
  16. Will attend Steering Committee Meetings

8.  Lunch

9.  Childhood Obesity Initiative (See Power Point) MO Foundation for Health

  1. Healthy Store, Healthy Community
  2. School leaders, schools, teachers, food service staff, school nurses (address policy issues)
  3. Wanted schools to have some momentum with the working on the policy issues
  4. Goal-to decrease childhood obesity by 5%
  5. Working with the following counties: Dunklin County , Pemiscot County, St. Louis County, Sullivan County, Randolph county, Miller, Hickory, Barry, Douglas , Texas, Dent
  6. Schools as the Hub Program-to improve physical activity and Nutrition in the schools and communities (K-8 only for this program)
  7. Alliance for a Healthier Generation-technical assistance for the schools in this program
  8. Healthy Communities-improve food, beverage and physical activity in the communities schools are located in
  9. PedNet and Trailnet are the technical assistance for this portion of the program
  10. DHSS is contracting with the Early Childcare Providers
  11. Statewide Collaboration and Focus
  12. Support education advocacy
  13. Work with each school and communities on the evaluation of this program
  14. Strategic Communications
  15. Went to each school and had them do a kick-off for this program
  16. Build awareness for the program and the participation date on the MO State

10.  Update on MO State Alliance of YMCAs, Robert Wood Johnson, Pioneering Healthier Communities Initiative (see Power Point)

  1. The PHC Model is what we use
  2. Timeline, Dec. 2012 wrote the grant, Jan. 2013 awarded the money, needed to have committee at meeting in Washington DC March 2013
  3. Statewide Team was put together quickly,-DHSS, MO Foundation for Health, YMCA USA, HES, KC Food Policy, Gamble and Sleymeyer, YMCA Greater St. Louis, USDA, MOCAN, Prevention and Research Center in St. Louis, Megan Klenke, WellPoint Foundation, Anthem, and student representation
  4. Policy Focus Areas
  5. Creating greater awareness of childhood obesity
  6. Improving built environments
  7. Improving access to healthy food and physical activity in school settings
  8. Giving children and families better vending options in public places
  1. Policy Reality
  2. Senate 727 and House bill ??-paid for lobby of this bill
  3. Federal legislation-
  4. Sustainability
  5. Need partnerships
  6. Need structure
  7. Need funding

Break for workgroups

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