Heavy ideas, light approach

Part celebrity media event, part earnest discussion of children and obesity. Such was the first Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity, hosted last week by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The invitation-only event drew about 200 participants, including teachers, healthcare providers, community activists, politicos, physicians and corporations. The guests seemed to agree that a unified emphasis on health might reduce the state’s growing population of overweight kids and adults.

But with the event featuring celebs such as Lance Armstrong, Dr. Phil, SpongeBob SquarePants and Jared, the Subway sandwich guy, the made-for-TV moments at times competed with the more serious nature of the work at hand.

Of course, childhood obesity is a complex issue not easily tackled, and Schwarzenegger did start with a familiar target -- soda and junk food in California schools. He used the event to sign legislation restricting sales of the two nutritional villains.

Many who attended were careful to call the legislation a first step, not a solution.

Even the governor acknowledged the inherent limitations of the restrictions. “My administration is going to do even more to build a healthy California for everyone,” he said, “including fighting diabetes and obesity in health screenings, and building more parks in urban areas so our kids have the opportunity to exercise and do sports every day.” More plans are outlined in Schwarzenegger’s 10-point “Vision for a Healthy California,” which also includes making fresh produce available in all neighborhoods and having only healthy foods and beverages marketed to children 12 and under.

One bill, due to go into effect in 2007, restricts fat and sugar content of foods sold on campus during school hours. Another bans soda sales during school hours and will be effective in 2009. (The Los Angeles Unified School District voted in 2002 to ban soda sales at cafeterias and student snack bars.)

A third bill provides an outline to use $18.2 million from the governor’s budget to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals.

Right before a pre-summit walk with a group of elementary schoolchildren, the governor admonished the kids to watch their eating habits, saying, “Don’t eat always the junk food, OK?”

First Lady Maria Shriver, who was instrumental in organizing the event, explained the initial school focus by saying, “If kids are going to be on campus six hours a day, let’s be responsible about what we give them.”

Others offered a more blunt assessment of the impending laws’ impact. Dr. William Dietz, director of the division of nutrition and physical activity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: “The evidence that control of soft-drink intake is effective against obesity is pretty limited but logical, since it accounts for a lot of calories.”

He added: “In isolation, I’m not sure this is going to make a huge difference, but it’s an important start.”

Even state Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Montebello), who sponsored two of the bills, said she might look into tweaking one of them. Some fruit juices will be allowed under the legislation, but many health experts point out that juice can contain more sugar and calories than soda.

“I can’t turn a blind eye to that,” Escutia said. “I don’t want this to be opening the door to diet drinks and heaven knows what else.” Allowing “light” versions of juices could be one solution.

Several speakers pointed out that exercise is an inescapable component of physical fitness, something the bills, by their nature, didn’t address. They floated ideas such as building more-walkable communities and providing safe parks and play areas.

Such lofty intentions often languish after the balloon arches have deflated, but some here were optimistic that promises of more involvement and higher standards would be kept.

“Hopefully this will bring those advocates out of the closet and into the mainstream,” said Dr. Robert Ross, president and chief executive of the California Endowment, the healthcare foundation that sponsored the event.

Shriver, who wore tennis shoes with her elegant ivory pantsuit, told the crowd, “We should check where we are next year. I hope everyone is in this for the long haul.”