MOCAN Meeting
April 24, 2014
Bradford Farms
Skipping Introductions except for new member – Terry Whaley
1. Infographics
a. Draft – Childcare Group
i. Tri-fold Brochure – Need additional information
1. Problems, Causes, Consequences & Solutions
2. FDA Nutrition Labels
a. Any MOCAN group comments?
3. Sustainability
a. Moving forward with Voices for Food Grant
b. Received funds from DHSS
c. In process and have submitted other grants
d. Need speakers and donations
4. Adobe Connect with Margo Wootan – see Power Point
a. Menu Labeling
i. People eating out twice as much
ii. Splurge mentality when eating out
iii. Eating out linked to obesity
iv. Often restaurant foods aren’t nutritious and are higher in calories
1. A few restaurants list calories for meals
2. Even professional dietitians underestimate number of calories in
restaurant meals
b. National Menu Labeling
i. Requires Chain Restaurants to provide calories on menu/menu board
ii. Standard menu items will be determined by the restaurant
1. A menu item is a serving
iii. Menu labeling for states and localities
1. Has to be consistent with federal standards
2. Menu labeling on public property
a. Federal concessions
b. Vending operations
c. Does Menu Labeling Affect food choices?
i. Need big studies with large sample size
1. One study found 1 in 6 people see and use calorie board
a. Reduced lunch by 100 calories
2. Starbucks Study – 6% decrease in calories
d. Policy Can Make a Difference
i. Trans Fat – lower levels of consumption thru because of labeling
ii. Menu Labeling Reformulation
1. Incentives for companies
2. Fast Food Restaurants have decreased 40 calories per meal
3. FDA sent Menu Labeling Regulations to the White House – should be
coming out soon
e. Supermarkets vs. Restaurants
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i. Supermarkets are selling pre-packaged foods (rotisserie chicken etc..) and
should have to provide menu labeling
Movie Theaters
i. High calorie foods
ii. Many are complying with providing nutrition information
Alcohol Labeling in Restaurants
i. Law requires post calories for all menu items
ii. Alcohol – 5th largest source of calories in adult diets
1. Mud Slide – TGIF – over 700 calories
Vending Machine Labeling
i. FDA proposed Vending Companies to post calories next to machines with
posters and pamphlets instead of on the machines –this doesn’t work
Menu Labeling Education
i. People don’t always see the menu labeling at first
ii. Need education and promotion campaigns
iii. Most people use package nutrition information to make better choices
Children’s Meals
i. Improve nutritional quality
ii. Some policies in California have been passed to improve quality
Social Media Used to Take Action
Questions
i. When the regulations come out, when will restaurants & other organizations be
required to make the menu labeling changes?
1. Timeline – Probably about one year
ii. Comment – Do you think reducing 100 calories per Fast Food Meal is beneficial?
1. Several – yes
2. Would lose 7 lbs/year
iii. Any research regarding customers perceptions about labeling? Do folks
sometime think it will have less flavor?
1. Literature on healthy food symbols is mixed. Depends on restaurant and
menu.
a. Subway – huge success
b. Other restaurants – has not worked so well
c. Healthy food symbol doesn’t work as well as listing the calories
d. Depends on quality of menu items
iv. Vending – same requirements as restaurants with 20 or more sites?
1. Yes, any vendor that posts 20 or more machines will have to post
labeling
v. How will the regulations be enforced?
1. Add to Inspections
End Adobe Connect
m.
5. Break
6. Polk County Restaurant Labeling Project – Michelle Morris & Sandra Zanaboni
a. Live Well Restaurant Initiative – See Power Point
i. Partnering with Department of Health & Senior Services
ii. Toolkit
1. Benefits
a. Built stronger relationship
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b. Improved food choices
c. Opportunity to reach more people and families
d. Increased number of healthy food choices
e. Helped consumer make healthier choices
f. Table Tents for restaurants
g. Dining Cards that have Live Well restaurants listed
h. Increased partnership with restaurants
i. Incentives for restaurants – Publicity (online/TV/FB)
2. Criteria to becoming a Live Well Restaurant
a. Smoke-free facility
b. Using Seasonal & locally grown
c. Nutrition – support dietary guidelines
d. At least two menu items that meet criteria
e. Entrées
i. Fruits/protein/whole grains/non-starchy vegetable
ii. Less than 750 calories & 9 grams fat
3. Assemble Necessary Resources
a. Expected Expenses
i. Staff Training
ii. Printing Fees
iii. Nutritional Analysis Software
iv. Outreach & Application Assistance
1. Determine Eligibility
b. Benefits
i. Paid Advertisements
c. Evaluation
i. Patron Survey
ii. Restaurants should be surveyed 6 months after starting
Live Well Program
d. Keys to Program Success & Tips
i. Communication
ii. Analysis of Menu Items
iii. View restaurants as partners
iv. Have a plan, find a common denominator, keep it brief
& understand the differences, they are there to make
money
v. Offer a, “hook” (press release, FB coverage…)
vi. Challenges
1. They are BUSY
2. Many prepare meals by memory & don’t
measure
e. New for 2014 Polk County Memorandum of Understanding
i. Restaurants will submit recipes OR nutritional analysis
4. Questions
a. Have any restaurants documented any change in sales after
becoming a Live Well Restaurant?
i. Small restaurants haven’t noticed a sales difference, but
servers notice people are ordering from the Table Tents
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b. Were any Fast Food restaurants (Dairy Queen) given latitude to
change menu?
i. No. Some easily qualified (Subway), but tried to find an
item or two to qualify
ii. Some tried changing a product to comply
iii. Some would provide a healthier choice, just wasn’t
necessarily listed as a menu item
iv. How many restaurants are Live Well Restaurants?
1. 2013 – 17 restaurants
a. Polk County – 30,000 people
b. No Restaurant Association in Polk
County
v. In the future, will you think about lowering Sodium
1. Has been difficult
2. Will always be trying to raise awareness
vi. Next step – to work with schools – cafeterias and calorie
counts
7. MOCAN Business
a. Infographics
i. Working to complete & set a date for Legislative visits (December or early
January)
ii. Education not lobbying
iii. Doodle will be sent to those interested in participating in visits
b. Update – Bills
i. Insurance Coverage for treatment of Eating Disorders
ii. House Bill 1493
iii. Senate Bill 769 – will be voted on in the next week or so – Senate.Mo.Gov or
House.Mo.Gov
iv. 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
v. SNAP Pilot Project with Farmers Markets – three different bills which are
progressing
1. Senate Bill 727 & 850 & Sales Tax Exemption
2. House Bill 1861 – SNAP + prevent people from spending benefits in
other states
c. Elections
i. Steering Committees
1. Chair/Co-Chair
2. Will attend Steering Committee Meetings
8. Lunch
9. Childhood Obesity Initiative (See Power Point) MO Foundation for Health
a. Healthy Store, Healthy Community
i. School leaders, schools, teachers, food service staff, school nurses (address
policy issues)
ii. Wanted schools to have some momentum with the working on the policy issues
iii. Goal-to decrease childhood obesity by 5%
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b. Working with the following counties: Dunklin County , Pemiscot County, St. Louis
County, Sullivan County, Randolph county, Miller, Hickory, Barry, Douglas , Texas, Dent
c. Schools as the Hub Program-to improve physical activity and Nutrition in the schools
and communities (K-8 only for this program)
i. Alliance for a Healthier Generation-technical assistance for the schools in this
program
d. Healthy Communities-improve food, beverage and physical activity in the communities
schools are located in
i. PedNet and Trailnet are the technical assistance for this portion of the program
ii. DHSS is contracting with the Early Childcare Providers
e. Statewide Collaboration and Focus
i. Support education advocacy
ii. Work with each school and communities on the evaluation of this program
f. Strategic Communications
i. Went to each school and had them do a kick-off for this program
ii. 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)
a. The PHC Model is what we use
b. Timeline, Dec. 2012 wrote the grant, Jan. 2013 awarded the money, needed to have
committee at meeting in Washington DC March 2013
c. 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
d. Policy Focus Areas
i. Creating greater awareness of childhood obesity
ii. Improving built environments
iii. Improving access to healthy food and physical activity in school settings
1. Giving children and families better vending options in public places
e. Policy Reality
i. Senate 727 and House bill ??-paid for lobby of this bill
ii. Federal legislationf. Sustainability
i. Need partnerships
ii. Need structure
iii. Need funding
Break for workgroups
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