to meals in fast-food restaurants. some have tripled, but for my daughter's age, as i said, it has tripled. some have shown a causal connection between fast-food restaurants in particular, especially in low-income urban communities, where there are few deserts' in many areas around the country. been there are food deserts' -- there are food deserts. a $5.50 billion industry which uses millions per year to market those so-called incentive items are something that we are assessing, as well. our work is modest, and i will repeat that again. it is modest. it is a modest effort with

responsibilities the restaurant's new nutritional standards if they want to attach a toy or an item with a meal. really, we are targeting fatty, sugar, an unhealthy foods, and we are proactively promoting better food choices for parents and for food choices in their neighborhoods and communities. in san francisco alone, we have estimated that it is about a $900 million price tag in health-care costs in lost productivity for obesity in the city, and there are other national studies that shows that " this leads to $147 billion of a drain on our national budget, as well, so our modest ordinance is really addressing basic nutritional standards and cutting back sugar, salt, and

high chemical content from our children's food. i also wanted to a knowledge that colleagues will be getting letters and communication from others, but one person who could not be here today is dr. carmen from one of the oldest and largest public health associations in this country, and she kind of has an important letter that has been distributed to all of us. also today, we have other voices from the oakland prevention institute and other groups that are supported by the robert wood association. we also have a representative of the usda, the american heart association, and, again, parents and corporate responsibility and accountability leaders from around the bay area, as well.

i just wanted to say that i have appreciated the comments in the input from my colleagues but have also listened to all different perspectives that have been brought to us, so i am today as we move this code for the forward with a positive reclamation -- recommendation today. thank you, chairman maxwell. supervisor maxwell: do you have a list of speakers? supervisor chiu: yes, i have some, but i wanted to just start i sp in advance. can i just say that from the usda, we have a person, and also a small-business seller from sellers' market, and a parent leader, lesley, and the last person before i call up more is rebecca mccurdy, so those4b four

first. q÷miss? >> yes, thank you. i want to say that i work for the usda, but i cannot speak on behalf of the usda. i am here as a concerned citizen and a trained professional. i does want to say that i support the ordinance, and i want to start off by talking about this chart -- i just want to say that i support the ordinance. it is the sensibly comparing happy meals with meals eaten at home, and it shows that they are very comparable, but what i want to point out is that the star really only talks about calories, sodium, fat, saturated fat, and it does not discuss at all vitamins or minerals or fiber content in the meals, so it really does not compare

fully the meals that children eat at home and the meals that they can get in fast food. the second point that i want to make is that currently i feel that the social norm is that happy meals or fast-food meals are an acceptableñr meal to give your child, at lunch or dinner, and i think this ordinance is trying to change that social norm so that the norm is that the healthier choice, the except when to give to children, and the un healthier choice becomes

the exmú(t%j children the un healthier choice -- unhealthier choice, and it becomes a treat. san francisco as the food police. supervisor chiu: thank you so much. miss? >> my name is leslie. i am the mother of two children, and my family was in the district, in my children attend school. i would like to talk about the impact of monitoring -- marketing and healthy -- marketing unhealthy fast food to children. this undermines my efforts. my children see advertisements on public transit, bus shelters, billboards, and sponsorship announcements on public television. they tell my children that the experience of eating this unhealthy food and taking home a

cheap toy should be an important part of their childhood. this is critical. this is an important win for a children's health but also for our health as parents. every day, our children are bombarded with toy giveaways and other promotions. it is time that the stop undermining our ability to do what is best for our kids. we do not need their help. i am asking you as our elected representatives to please pass this healthy meals incentive, because families like mine are fed up with these messages that are more effective than our own. supervisor chiu: thank you. i am going to call up other names, so if your name has been called, please come up. [reading names]

>> derek lowe incomes schools. -- very low-income schools. it is very rare that children will talk about having the acela option at mcdonald's. -- having the salad option. they are generally having the french fries. a very high risk of childhood, a teenaged obesity. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. supervisor maxwell: if your name has been called, please just come right on up. >> hello, we do supervisor maxwell: you need to speak into the microphone. >> i have worked on this issue for two years, in the one to

recognize the work that companies like mcdonald's have done, put in time and money into grants for number of organizations, like the ones that i worked with. in support of these no use -- in support of these, there is a disconnect. the kids would walk out of the and profit thinking about what was healthy for them, because we have spoken about how many sugar cubes are in an arizona iced tea. happy meals, like mcdonald's might be closer to their house than their parents office. that is what they would do first. the parent may not be there to support them in the education keys, o -- -- piece.

what could they do if they use those advertising dollars to put a toy in a meal? that is genius. thank you so much. supervisor maxwell: thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. [reading names] >> hi, i am kathy. i am a parent, but i am speaking today as a public-school teacher, a public and teacher, at a middle school for 35 years. -- a public ed teacher. i have seen firsthand the increase in obesity at the

middle school level and their younger siblings. when a middle school student is obese, he or she starts an incredible down world spiral -- downward spiral with all of the teasing from the kids, and they lose their self image, and when you lose your self-image, you start a downward spiral, less work, less filling of productivity, lower grades. mcdonald's said last week that schools need to teach it nutrition. ahowever, we do not have the budget. the fast-food corp. has in order to send off its incredible advertising. our students are in the mission. they walk by mcdonald's on the way to school, and they walk by on the way back. they see the bright colors and

the toys and the low prices, and they are getting more and more obese. i really do believe that fast- food restaurants need to care about our children and make changes, but if they do not, then i am proud that we are in a city that would do it for them, and i really recommend passage. thank you. supervisor chiu: 80. and if people have not filled out cards yet, there are yellow cards appear if you would like to speak. >> -- there are yellow cards up here, if you would like to speak. >> great responsibility. corporate world should not, the expense of children's health. as more education about tobacco led to the restriction and sale of tobacco to minors, so should health and nutrition education and knowledge of the diseases related to poor nutrition, such as childhood diabetes and heart

disease, lead to the passage of legislation making healthier food available, particularly to children, who are the target population of the fast-food incentive. this ordinance is not meant to restrict freedom or undermine the parents' ability to govern. rather, it helps those who want to purchase best for them. combined with action taken to reflect our awareness of health- related diseases lead to poor nutrition, it can literally save lives. as children do not have the right to vote, we as parents, educators, entrepreneurs, and politicians, we have the responsibility to help them make healthy choices. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. >> good afternoon. my name is julie had sims, and i am a registered dietitian who works in oakland -- my name is

juliet simms. i am also a mother and serve in both capacities as a mother and a nutritionist, who puts my child's health first, i strongly support this ordinance. the fact that mcdonald's ran a full-page advertisement in "economist" last monday when this committee was in session, in total, "we believe in kids," the same day this ordinance was being discussed points to exactly why this legislation is so critical. from toys to marketing, corporations have virtually unlimited resources. the restaurant industry spends nearly $5 million daily marketing unhealthy foods to kids. millions were spent on toys, and they sold 1.2 billion meals to children with torre's.

note make no mistake, toys sell. the nag factor, the restaurant industry knows a boat -- knows about the nag factor, as well. nutrition guidelines. the deck is stacked against parents trying to kill the decisions for their kids, from grocery store is to schools and institutions. many foods do not support healthy choices. policies like this one helped direct that balance, and they are absolutely critical to help stem the tide of obesity in today's kids. that is why we need the supervisors to stand up and support this ordinance. restaurants are limited only by their own creativity and imagination. [ bell] supervisor chiu: can i ask what

kind of work does it do? just talk a little more about the prevention institute. >> sure. we are a national nonprofit that works to expand health and well- being in all communities but particularly those that are most affected by poor health outcomes. we have been doing this work for 13 years, working directly with community residents and community coalitions, and this is such an exciting ordinance from the perspective of our work, because it really does address an issue that has been challenging for communities to take on, and i really feel that san francisco will be in such a wonderful leadership role, and we hear from the communities that we work with. they are tired. parents are tired of being undermined by the ability of the industry to market directly to their kids. thank you.

>> my name is terry. in preschool through eighth grade, there is work being done every day to 80 children on healthy food, the connection -- there is work being done every day to help children with healthy food. -- to educate children on healthy food. it cannot and do not entice them with toys and gimmicks. -- they cannot and do not entice them with toys and gimmicks. all they have is logic. schools are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars teaching nutrition education effort.

there is the very educational policy of our teachers in schools. thank you. >> ok, supervisors. my name is jessica. i work in bayview hunters point. i was also here last week to ask for your support on this ordinance. my community is suffering from diseases, diseases that are related to diet, like diabetes. we are aware of health disparities in our neighborhood are due to lack of resources for education and awareness but also a lack of health the options for our children. this ordinance is one of many to

start. as a working mother on the go, fast-food restaurants are sometimes the only option for our budget. we ask you to support this bill for our kids' meals. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you, and think you to the food guardian being such a strong support last year, as well -- and think you to the food guardian. -- and thiank you. supervisor maxwell: there is an overflow room, and you do not have to, but it is preferable that you fill out a card. if you want to be here, you must have a seat, and we will give you ample time once your name is called to be able to speak, and

if you hear your name, if you will line up, it will help things go faster. thank you. >> good afternoon. i am with the american heart association as a volunteer and a mother of two. supervisor mar went over the statistics that i think we are all familiar with. i have to say that as a mother, i do not ban or boycott fast food, so in support of this ordinance, i would like to have healthier options for my children with fruit bowls, carrot sticks, you know, vegetables, celery, cauliflower, etc. it would just make my life easier. the heart fast

foods, or restaurants should not provide incentives. what we are in support of is offering healthier options. fruit, vegetables, and fiber, instead of high calorie, high sodium, in high-fat foods. here in the bay area, kids between 12 years old and 17 years old are overweight or obese, and 8% over the age of 12 are overweight. 75 percent of these children who are overweight are expected to be overweight as adults. and as a kiddie -- city and county, we cannot afford that.

also, in 2003, san franciscans concerned -- consumed over one- third of their food, if you waited in pizza and take out, so i think this ordinance -- supervisor mar: can i just ask her for that last piece of data? >> sure. i can leave that with you, as well. a kaiser foundation study showed that parents said they ate at least one fast-food meal or snack on a typical day. supervisor maxwell: thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. is there anyone else who wants to come forward? there were a few other names that i already called. libby and deborah.

anyone else, come forward, please. >> i am a pediatrician, and i have my primary care clinic at the hospital, and i am here on behalf of the patients and families that i interact with every day to support this ordinance. just to give you an idea of a patient population, the patients that i work with our low-income working families. these are families that really care about the health and well- being of their children but often make food choices based on cost and convenience, what is accessible in the neighborhood and what is affordable in their family. unfortunately for many living n what is cheap and available is often high in calories, fat, and sodium, and children that consume high in calories food, sugar, and sodium are at

increased risk for being obese, and we know that children some choicesg8 choices, which is why obese children become obese adults, and we know that they are susceptible to chronic disease. they're going to live less long than their parents did and have less of a life expectancy than their parents for the first time, so i am here to support this ordinance, because i think it demonstrates a collaboration between the government, people like myself, community members, and parents, talking about choices in what is affordable and accessible, and we want to make sure they make the choices that we encourage them to make. this is an important way to encourage our kids to make those choices. supervisor chiu: excuse me,

doctor. last week, mcdonald's was here, and they suggested there was a divide about the impact of legislation like this to occur obesity in young kids. what is your perspective? do you think this is part of the mainstream of the pediatric world, or is mcdonald's? >> i think that is a really important question, and i think there are a number of important solutions to address. the issue of lack of access to affordable food options in our neighborhood, but this encourages them to make healthy choices. utilizing something that has worked for mcdonald's, like putting a toy in the meal, i think is a great solution, and

they were supporting this ordinance, as well. supervisor chiu: 84 the great work you are doing for a public health. thank you. -- thank you for the great work you are doing. and anyone else would like to speak should come forward. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak here today for the healthy meals ordinance. my name is deborah, and i am the senior organizer with corporate accountability international, which is a national members of organization that has 33 years of experience of protecting the health and the environment. we have heard from community leaders, parents, teachers, who have expressed up must support -- but most support.

the primary strategies of these corporate lobbyists, and this epidemic has been growing despite research showing no demonstrable change in the level of parental responsibility. testimony has shown this is had an effect in african-american and latino children. certainly, and it is like they are less responsible. rather, communities of color are having the marketing directed to them. market research indicates that only 16% of children are eating children's meals, primarily for the food, while more than one- third are choosing those meals

because of the tories. -- toys. there are millions of unhealthy meals and may not be sold if the toys were not there. bil [bell] please wrap up, but elaborate on your last point. >> it would reduce the number of overweight children by 18% by removing these meals per year. especially when the advertisements are based around those toys. and what effect does this have on local businesses? san franciscans are rightfully proud of their local businesses, in this ordinance levels the playing field for the 86% of residents who do not have the

windows billion marketing budgets to help kids on their food, and so, instead, they rely on high quality food rather than a toy incentive. supervisor mar: thank you so much for your work. i did want to call up someone from the department of health. and thank you for your research and all of the great advice even making the legislation stronger. >> -- supervisor mar: if there are any points raised to just respond, but i think you were still here when we reduced the content, the