HeLP America Act

Image credit: CSPI

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, a public health champion, re-introduced the HeLP America Act today.  The comprehensive bill would expand prevention efforts in schools, communities, and workplaces.  It supports increasing access to nutrition information while promoting physical activity, and discouraging tobacco use. These healthy eating, active living, and non-smoking behaviors were previously discussed in my Top Three Healthy Behaviors blog post.

Senator Harkin's bill supports fruits and vegetables in schools; guidelines for healthier food marketing to kids; sodium reduction in processed and restaurant foods; consistent front-of-pack labeling system for packaged foods; healthier food on federal property including, my personal favorite - national parks...

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The HeLP America Act calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to finalize and release recommendations to help industry improve food marketing to kids.  Because companies consider the following foods acceptable to market to kids as healthy, most Americans would agree that the HeLP America Act is much needed legislation to discourage companies from marketing these types of foods to children:

Image credit: CSPI

One of the physical activity promotion efforts included in the bill would provide technical assistance to elementary and secondary schools to help them develop joint-use agreements.  These agreements address liability, operational and management, and cost issues that make it difficult for community members to use school facilities for recreational purposes during non-school hours.

In my Baltimore City neighborhood for example, the local Digital Harbor public high school's swimming pool has been made available for community members other than the school's students or staff through an informal agreement. It has taken years of negotiating and a grass-root community effort to allow area residents access to the swimming facility. 

I've often wondered if there had been technical assistance available to develop a formal joint-use agreement, whether things would have progressed more "swimmingly" and allowed neighborhood residents access to this nearby fitness facility sooner.  Area homeowners felt that they already supported the pool through their property taxes and wanted access to the facility during non-school hours.  Through numerous collaborations, the local swimming community has expanded and the high school students have benefited in many ways (e.g., through lifeguard job opportunities), and yet an initial formal agreement may have alleviated many of the ongoing facility-use issues.

Although the wheels of government turn slowly, and legislation does not often make it through Congress during initial attempts, I am hopeful that the HeLP America Act will be enacted this year.  It certainly makes sense to balance the dollars our nation invests in the medical model with those invested in evidence-based public health prevention efforts. Contact your local representative and support Senate Bill 174 this session.

Be Well,
Mary

NOTE: Digital Harbor High School pool is located on Baltimore's Key Highway across from the Harbor View high rise.  This is the community swimming schedule during the academic year, although it is subject to change:

Tuesday         6:30-8:30 pm
Thursday       6:30-8:30 pm
Saturday        8:30-10:30 am
Sunday          2:00 - 4:00 pm

Evening sessions end at 8:00 pm if the pool is empty.  For paying membership and punch card questions, contact Kathleen Smith at [email protected] with Digital Harbor Swim Club.  Volunteer and all other inquiries can be directed to Navah Langmeyer at [email protected].

P.S.  Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.