Healthy Menus Minneapolis

AUGUST 2009 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2

Welcome to Healthy Menus Minneapolis!

What is Healthy Menus Minneapolis? Healthy Menus Minneapolis is a project of the West Metro Medical Society. We are a coalition of local health organizations concerned about the lack of nutrition information offered at fast-food establishments. One of the contributing factors to the growing national obesity epidemic is the public’s increasing reliance on fast food. Today, the nation’s children and families consume one-third of their calories eating out. Unfortunately, the majority of restaurants do not provide easily accessible information related to the calorie content of the food they serve.

Healthy Menus Minneapolis believes that in order to combat one of the root causes of obesity, restaurant chains should be required to provide the calorie content of the food they serve, on menu boards, drive thru menus and table menus so consumers can make healthy informed choices at the point of purchase.

Federal Menu Labeling Legislation Update

This summer has been filled with talk of health care reform; debates about what will work and what won’t work, who has the best ideas to bring the cost of health care down, and how quickly health care reform can be approved to help the American people. Healthy Menus Minneapolis is closely watching this unfold because there is a federal menu labeling policy that is included in the health care reform package. As legislators take their August breaks, we will have to wait on a vote, but in the mean time a recent article from the Los Angeles Times suggests the restaurant industry is at odds about who should be covered under the policy.

“The fight has become so intense that the warring parties have made some unusual alliances. The National Restaurant Association has forged a pact with a public policy interest group, often called the “food police” and long a foe of the industry. It sees the proposed legislation, introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in May and since combined with a competing bill, as the best way to expand menu labeling nationwide after years of objections by the restaurant trade. Meanwhile, more than a dozen fast-food and pizza chains have linked up with several health groups that believe the legislation should include as many establishments as possible. The bill, they say, has gaps big enough to let a milk tanker drive through. As written, the bill applies only to chains with 20 or more restaurants operating under the same name. They must post calories on menus and provide more detailed written information, such as fat and sodium content, on request.”

Jonathan Blum, Sr. Vice President of Yum Brands Inc. which owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and others is suggesting that only 25 percent of all fast-food establishments will be covered by this law, which he see’s as poor service to the American public. Yum is asking that the regulations should apply to individual restaurants with $1 million or more in annual sales and chains with three of more locations.

According to Margo Wootan, Director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, exempting small businesses is reasonable and allows for larger chain restaurants to provide accurate information and deal with government regulation.

As this proposed legislation continues to make its way to a final vote, Healthy Menus Minneapolis will continue to provide updates.

Grassroots Campaign Update

Trans fat free restaurants include:

Applebee’s California Pizza Kitchen Cheesecake Factory Chevy’s Fresh Mex Chili’s Bar and Grill Olive Garden P.F Chang’s Wendy’s Taco Bell Pizza Hut Kentucky Fried Chicken McDonald’s Burger King Starbucks Caribou Coffee Arby’s

Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity

in the United States.

A report released on July 24, 2009 by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) details 24 recommendations for community action on how to prevent obesity in the United States. Although calorie labeling and trans fat phase outs are not specifically one of the suggestions, the report follows with our goal of creating healthy eating environments for all Minnesotans. The report lists numerous strategies that can be implemented at the local level. One of the suggested strategies is to have communities increase the availability of healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues. Essentially, it is suggesting policies be put in place to apply nutrition standards that are consistent with the dietary guidelines for Americans to all food sold within local government facilities in a local jurisdiction or on public school campuses. The CDC report is yet another reminder of the need for local policy change around healthy eating in our communities to help prevent and reduce obesity. If you’re interested in seeing a copy of the full report, please contact Jennifer Anderson at 612-362-3752 or janderson@metrodoctors.com

Now that we’re in the full swing of summer, here’s something to think about when you’re craving that

Dairy Queen blizzard.

A large Dairy Queen Chocolate Chip Cookie

Dough Blizzard contains 6 grams of trans fat.

U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that individuals

should consume less than 2 grams of trans fat daily,

which only allows for consumption of naturally

occurring trans fat. However, Americans age

20 and older eat an average of 5.8 grams of

trans fat on a daily basis.

The Skinny on Trans Fats Actually there’s nothing skinny about trans fats! Partially hydrogenated fats, also known as trans fat, develop when liquid oils are converted into a solid fat such as shortening and margarine. While traces of trans fat can be found naturally in animal-based foods, almost all trans fat is artificially produced and found in hydrogenated oils used for frying and baking. Research studies indicate that on a gram-for-gram basis, trans fat is the most harmful fat (even more harmful that saturated fat) because it lowers good cholesterol (HDL) and raises bad cholesterol levels (LDL).

o Scientific studies have found a link between trans fat and an increased risk of coronary heat disease (CHD). In 2006, 15% of deaths in Minneapolis were a result of CHD.

o Trans fat increases the risk for stroke, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

o A Harvard Study estimates that eliminating trans fats could prevent 10-19% of events related to coronary heart disease.

o Trans fats are most commonly found in fast-food, bakery products, crackers, cakes, cookies and pastries.