Media Advisory

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Monday, November 21, 2011

What:

Contra Costa Health Services will report its dramatic findings on the health effects of soda and other sugary beverages on the residents of San Pablo at a City Council meeting tonight. The City of San Pablo has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the county. Among its findings, the Health Services report found roughly 52% of San Pablo schoolchildren were overweight or obese in 2010 and more than 90% of San Pablo residents live within walking distance (one-quarter mile) of a sugary beverage vendor. The number of school-age children who are overweight or obese in Contra Costa rose by 3.5 percentage points to an alarming overall 33.85 percent between 2005 and 2010, according to the statewide study released earlier this month by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA).

Who:

The presentation will be made by Dr. Wendel Brunner, Director of Public Health for Contra Costa Health Services.

When:

The San Pablo City Council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at Council Chambers, 13831 San Pablo Avenue, One Alvarado Square, San Pablo

Why:

Obesity poses a serious health risk to children and one of the biggest contributors to this epidemic are sugar-sweetened beverages. According to local health officials, the environment must be changed to help support families in making healthy choices in order to effectively slow the epidemic of obesity.

To find out more about obesity in Contra Costa, visit www.cchealth.org. To view the Health Services report, visit www.ci.san-pablo.ca.us/archives/185/cc112111a.pdf (Begins on Page 39)

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