Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

Advocacy

The Voice at the State House

In a state that suffers from one of the highest rates of obesity in the country, Eat Smart Move More SC and its partners have made advocating for an active and healthy South Carolina one of our top priorities. The organization is becoming the voice at the SC State House representing healthy choices and healthy lifestyles.

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    The American Heart Association wants your support of FIT Kids Act. Ask your Representative and Senators to become co-sponsors today.

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    Earlier this week, the Senate approved its version of the Farm Bill, which would reauthorize federal nutrition and farm programs for the next five years.

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    As a retired general, I am deeply concerned about the high rate of obesity and low levels of physical activity in children and young adults in our state, which threaten not only their health but our national security as well.

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    Programs that provide classroom physical activity breaks can increase physical activity, and improve on-task behavior as well as some measures of health. There are a variety of programs that can be used to help kids be active in as little as 10-15 minutes.

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    Sponsored by Representatives Bakari Sellers (D – Bamberg) and John Richard King (D – York), the resolution points out that consuming excessive amounts of sodium is associated with high blood pressure.

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    If passed by the S.C. General Assembly, the Healthy Students Act of 2013 would provide students in middle and high school with a minimum of 90 minutes of physical activity each week.

  • We need your help to let USDA know you support strong nutrition standards in schools. Send your message through our advocacy page!

  • Public health champion Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will introduce the Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention America Act (HeLP America Act) today, January 22. The bill calls on the CDC, FDA, FTC, and USDA to finalize and release recommendations to help the industry improve food marketing to kids. The HeLP America Act is a comprehensive bill that would [...]

  • State and local government employs thousands of South Carolinians, and we need your help in getting Governor Haley to make healthier food options available on state property.

  • Well, it’s that time of year again when we start thinking about our resolutions for the New Year. As you think about what you’d like to accomplish in 2013, consider adding the following to your list: become an advocate for creating a state where the healthy choice is the easy choice.

  • The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity released model standards for food and beverages sold in vending machines, in addition to model legislation.

  • South Carolina can become a bicycle-friendlier place to live with the help of funding from the S.C. Department of Transportation.

  • Support state and local policies that provide healthier food and beverage choice in public places.

  • The summer’s slowly winding down, the kids are back in school, and the “normal” routine is settling in. What a great time to consider becoming involved in advocating for a healthy community for our school children!

  • It’s that time of year again. Children are heading back to school, but they are not heading back to the same school lunch.

  • The national menu labeling law is in jeopardy of being weakend. Help fight this battle on Capitol Hill.

  • When your community adopts a Complete Streets resolution, the citizens will benefit with an improvement in quality of life.

  • Do you enjoy riding a bike, but think twice about getting on your bike because you’re worried about the distinct possibility of having to maneuver the road with motorists? Or do you sometimes consider taking a walk or a jog, but fail to do so because there’s not a safe route in your neighborhood for pedestrians? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, join the crowd.

  • From The Prevention Institute: http://www.preventioninstitute.org/ The just-released House Republicans’ payroll tax plan aims to increase doctors’ Medicare reimbursement by dramatically cutting the Prevention and Public Health Fund–by more than two-thirds. Again and again we’ve stated, and polls of Americans have confirmed, that prevention is critical to fixing our health care system. But prevention funding is [...]

  • Please consider reaching out to your US Senators! Ask them to support updating the federal school meal nutrition standards and not stand in the way of the process already underway at USDA.

  • Another word for baby steps in advocacy is incremental change. Incremental change is how change happens in South Carolina. Our political culture does not support comprehensive change, especially on social issues. For organizations working on policies that need agency support, desire state funding, or require individual behavioral change, baby steps are the only option.

  • How do you get elected officials to listen when you talk to them about the issue important to you? Bull horns and balloons? Not likely. Pages of facts and tons of research? No that, either.

    The best way to engage a legislator in the issue you care about is to tell them – briefly and succinctly – why it is important to you. In essence, to tell them your story. Please click here to read Rebecca Ramos’ April Advocacy article for Eat Smart, Move More SC: April Article Telling Your Story

  • Eat Smart, Move More SC joins the American Heart Association in aggressively pushing for action on the federal Child Nutrition Act this year.

  • House Ways and Means Education K-12 Subcommittee members are reviewing budget provisos that could undermine the Student’s Health and Fitness Act. ESMMSC Partners need to act now!