City of Los Angeles Formally Endorses Bill.

Coalition of Health Advocates Optimistic Governor Will Sign Menu-Labeling Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles City Council today voted unanimously to join other cities, counties and health organizations around the state in calling on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill that would require large chain restaurants to post nutritional information on their menus and menu boards. The bill, Senate Bill 120 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Los Angeles), is currently on the governor's desk.

"We are looking forward to a signing ceremony where we can praise the governor for his leadership," said Dr. Harold Goldstein, Executive Director of the California Center for Pubic Health Advocacy and co-chair of the Governor's obesity prevention work group. "We can't imagine Governor Schwarzenegger, who has built a career on fitness, would side with the fast-food industry and veto SB 120. It would be a retreat from everything he has been saying about prevention."

"Health and fitness are priorities for this governor. Just as he led the nation in getting sodas and junk foods out of schools, Governor Schwarzenegger once again has the opportunity to lead by ensuring that Californians have the information they need to make healthy dining decisions when they eat out," stated Goldstein.

Despite pressure from the restaurant lobby, Goldstein says SB 120 has widespread support among Californians. A public opinion poll conducted by Field Research earlier this year showed that 84 percent of California's registered voters favored requiring nutritional menu labeling, including 89 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of Republicans.

Dr. Freny Mody, Chief, Division of Cardiology at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles and American Heart Association Board Member said, "As we look at ways to combat obesity, helping consumers compare options and make informed decisions when deciding what to eat is an important component. Nutritional information for menu items should be as accessible as the price of the meal, and SB 120 will do this."

Governor Schwarzenegger has committed considerable attention to addressing the obesity crisis over the last few years, including hosting his 2005 Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity. One outcome of that high-level summit was the recommendation requiring nutritional information on menus and menu boards.

"This bill is a direct product of the governor's own Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity," explained Robert Theaker, OD, president of the California Optometric Association. "This is his opportunity to take the best thinking of the experts he convened and put it into action for the welfare of all Californians."

Health advocates believe that a series of amendments to address industry concerns also increases the chances of SB 120 being signed. The bill's author, Senator Alex Padilla, went out of his way to work with restaurateurs, even amending the bill seven times to make it less of a burden on business.

Kevin Westley, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said he was pleased with an amendment that would allow computer software to be used to determine nutritional content rather than subjecting food to expensive lab testing. "Restaurants would prefer not to be regulated," admitted Westley, a restaurateur for 34 years, "but if this is a part of a larger program to fight childhood obesity, then we're ready to do our part."

When signed by the governor, SB 120 will make California the first state in the nation to require chain and fast-food restaurants with more than 15 outlets to provide nutritional information for standard menu items. Specifically, the bill requires the number of calories to be posted on menu boards. Printed menus would provide the amount of calories, grams of saturated fat, trans fats, sodium and carbohydrates.

SB 120 is sponsored by a coalition of health and public interest groups, including the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, the California Optometric Association and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The city of Los Angeles' endorsement makes it the latest member of a broad coalition of more than fifty organizations, cities, counties and businesses supporting the bill. For more information on this legislation, visit the CCPHA Web site at: www.publichealthadvocacy.org.