SustiNet Health Partnership
Childhood & Adult Obesity Task Force
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Post Office Box 1543
Hartford, CT 06144-1543
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Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Board of Directors
Liaison
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Phone:
860.466.4446
Facsimile:
860.297.3992
Email:
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Childhood & Adult Obesity Task Force Regular Meeting
February 5, 2010
Meeting Minutes
Task Force Attendees: Lucy Nolan, Co-chair; Marlene Schwartz, Co-chair; Andrea Rynn; Neil Vitale
Stakeholder Attendees: Katie Martin; Tom Brooks
Office of the State Comptroller:
Absent: Christine Finck; Jennifer Smith-Turner
Co-chairs welcomed all members to the meeting. Minutes from 1/8/10 were approved with minor edits.
Michelle Cloutier had been scheduled to speak on the State Asthma Prevention Initiative, but this will be tabled until the 3/5/10 meeting.
Katie Martin/UCONN: Corner Market and Healthy Food Initiative:
· Lack of access to healthy food-transportation environment.
· Healthy food in Hartford - Hartford Food System has created Healthy Food Retailer Initiative to shift store inventories from “junk to healthy food offerings.”
· Qualitative research-perceptions and barriers: cost, even above quality, was the most prominent issue; transportation is a barrier to finding offerings. Preference is for medium-sized stores. There is a question of “what foods are healthy?”
· Preliminary findings: WIC changes are having some effect; there is an increase in the percentage of stores carrying low-fat milk and a larger variety of fruit.
· Implications:
o Corner stores can play key role; there is a great deal of opportunity for improvement.
o WIC changes have been a positive influence.
o Advocacy will be a key issue going forward.
o Targeting healthy snacking is important.
· Next steps
o Examine impact of WIC changes
o Schools collaboration
o Asset mapping
o Snack Distributor collaboration
Linda Drake/CFPC, Presented by Lucy Nolan:
There was a discussion of CFPC background, mission, membership and work. Food policies and effects, access and barriers, consumption and choices, food labeling, and cultural aspects were covered. Priority recommendations noted were: farmland preservation, farmland viability, meat processing and smart growth.
Marlene Schwartz presented a draft copy of the report to the Sustinet Committee. The report is divided into two sections: Guiding principles and Recommendations, and it is attached.
https://www.ct.gov/sustinet/cwp/view.asp?a=3825&q=456370
The group welcomed Neil Vitale and he shared his perspective.
Meeting was adjourned.
Next meeting 3/5/10 at 1:00 pm at CT Association of Non-Profits.