Following the Pleasure Principle: How to Create a Sustainable Economy That Makes Daily Life Better
For too long, environmentalists have been viewed as self-righteous killjoys demanding that everyone overhaul their wasteful habits. It’s time to change that. While some people were taking advantage of the recent three-day weekend to hit the ski slopes or enjoy some time away from the demands of the classroom or the office, our volunteers were […]
California’s Food System. Where Is It Headed?
Roots of Change (ROC) president, Michael Dimock, had the pleasure to interview one of the leading figures in the food movement, Michael Pollan. Pollan is the author of several well-known books such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. He has changed the way Americans view […]
Why new dietary guidelines can’t solve the obesity crisis
The USDA released a new set of dietary guidelines this week and the updated guidelines were enough to put nutritionist Marion Nestle in “shock”. Two recent studies suggest the causes of the obesity epidemic are so pervasive and so deeply intertwined with our advanced industrialized way of life, that we’ll really need to “go long” if […]
Why the Happy Meal is a crime—and not just a culinary one
By: Michele Simon. When it comes to food, everybody’s got an opinion. Same goes for parenting. Mix the two together and you’ve got the makings of a culture war. Witness the recent scuffle between Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama over the White House’s rather tame Let’s Move campaign aimed at ending childhood obesity. So last […]
Growing Healthy Lunches With School Gardens
By: Jennifer Kongs Parents, teachers and nutritionists alike have long advocated for healthier school lunches. While providing fresh vegetables for the school lunch program, school gardens are also part of a growing green school trend focused on making more sustainable schools. The Green School Initiative notes, “Many schools around the world have planted edible gardens […]
Not a Sweet Idea: Rebranding HFCS as “Corn Sugar”
This news is incredibly frustrating – instead of creating healthy alternatives, the ag industry prefers to rebrand and repackage the same poison that is helping cause diabetes and obesity in our children as somehting different! – Jeremy The battle against high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) seemed to be leaning towards victory. Consumers have become increasingly […]
Obesity epidemic worsens in CA
Obesity, diabetes epidemics continue to grow in California, UCLA study finds By: BJS, Scienceblog.com A majority of adults in California are obese or overweight, and more than 2 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Both conditions — which are related to each […]
Good planning improves community health!
Urban Planners Make You Fat April recently wrote Bike-Happy, Ped-Friendly Cities Less Obese, but how do they get that way? George Monbiot writes that “We are, to a surprising extent, what the built environment makes us,” quoting a series of studies which show trees make us more social, quiet areas are friendlier and vegetation reduces […]
The meat industry feels the heat as the sustainable-food movement gains force
BY Tom Philpott, Grist.org Once, the meat industry acted with impunity, confident that its lobbying clout in Washington could deflect any challenges to its practices. But now, it finds itself on the defensive. In northwest Iowa, the EPA has taken the brazen, virtually unheard-of step of actually enforcing the Clean Water Act for CAFOs, or […]
Central CA Regional Obesity Prevention Program recognized for work in South Stockton
The key to solving hunger and obesity in Stockton is working together! The Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program has begun to make headway on changing the environment in South Stockton to help prevent childhood obesity. – Jeremy Terhune Fighting environmental factors in childhood obesity By Joe Goldeen Record Staff Writer July 16, 2010 12:00 AM […]