HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-09 - AGENDA REPORTS - HEALTHY CITY INITIATIVE (2)CONSENT CALENDAR
DATE:
SUBJECT:
DEPARTMENT:
Agenda Item: 0
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval
Item to be presented by:
November 9, 2004
Rick Gould
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA CITY
COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF A HEALTHY CITY INITIATIVE
Parks, Recreation & Community Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council adopt a resolution in support of a Healthy City Initiative.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Surgeon General has declared obesity a national epidemic and appealed for a call to
action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. The Surgeon General outlined strategies
that communities can use in helping to address the problems. Those options included requiring
physical education at all school grade levels, providing more healthy food options, and providing
safe and accessible recreational facilities for residents of all ages.
Overweight and obesity may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette
smoking. People tend to think of overweight and obesity as strictly a personal matter, but there is
much that communities can and should do to address these problems.
The number of overweight children, adolescents, and adults has risen over the past four decades.
Approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths a year currently are associated with obesity and overweight
(compared to more than 400,000 deaths a year associated with cigarette smoking). The total
direct and indirect costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117 billion in 2000.
The annual cost of obesity to California in direct medical expenses and lost productivity is $14.2
billion.
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Childhood overweight and physical inactivity are conditions likely to follow youth into
adulthood. Without intervention, the next generation of California teens appear destined to
suffer prematurely from high levels of life-threatening, chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart
disease, stroke, and cancer. These diseases are directly related to poor nutrition, physical
inactivity, and overweight.
The Surgeon General stated that communities can help when it comes to health promotion and
disease prevention, he has stated the following: "When there are no safe places for children to
play, or for adults to walk, jog, or ride a bike, that's a community responsibility. When school
lunch rooms or workplace cafeterias don't offer healthy and appealing food choices, that is a
community responsibility. When new or expectant parents are not educated about benefits of
breast feeding, that is a community responsibility. When we don't require daily physical
education in our schools, that is also a community responsibility."
The City of Santa Clarita is a responsible community. Internally, staff has created Project
H.E.A.L.T.H. (Helping Everyone Achieve Long -Term Health) which is focusing on employee
wellness programs, healthy food and beverage options for all City facility vending machines and
at all City programs and events, and marketing campaign to promote the healthy programs the
City offers.
As a responsible community, this resolution makes a statement that the City of Santa Clarita has
a strong interest and moral responsibility in providing an all-encompassing environment that is
conducive to the health of its citizens. This resolution seeks to encourage wellness and engage
leaders from diverse groups of this community in addressing a public health issue that is among
the most burdensome faced by the Nation.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution