UC Blog
Solutions to obesity raised on Valley Public Radio program
Even as bad news about increasing rates of obesity nationwide continues to roll in - dismal 2010 data was published by the Associated Press today - there are some encouraging trends that may begin to reverse the problem. UC Cooperative Extension nutrition educator Sara Bosse injected a positive message during a recent Quality of Life broadcast about obesity, aired on Valley Public Radio.
"Those of us who have been working on the issue for a long time are seeing results of our hard work," Bosse said.
Bosse, Quality of Life host Joe Moore, and Fresno State nutrition educator Genoveva Islas-Hooker discussed some of the the reasons so many people are packing on pounds:
- Soda serving sizes have swollen exponentially since the 70s
- Restaurant portion sizes are larger than 10 or 20 years ago
- Parents, concerned for their children's safety, often prefer to keep them indoors
- School fences are locked after hours
Islas-Hooker said educators have been telling people they must do something about their weight, but have neglected to address how environments we have created conspire against them.
Caller Lois in Bakersfield asked whether anything has been done to reduce the advertising of unhealthful food and drinks to children, particularly on TV.
Bosse said experts have been working on this difficult issue.
"We are trying to get (businesses') voluntary agreement to not target kids as much, but it's a real uphill battle," Bosse said. "There is still a lot more advertising to children than is in any way healthy for their well being."
Bosse continued: "We need to, as a society, make our mind up about what's important and what our values are and figure out how businesses can make money and can operate a healthy business that's good for our kids and still be able to survive in a difficult market."
Unhealthy food is cheap and readily available.
CalTrans road project would impact dozens of redwoods
CalTrans' controversial plan to widen a stretch of Highway 101 in Northern California would impact more than the 54 trees the agency will remove, according to an Associated Press story that cited UC Berkeley forestry professor Joe McBride.
CalTrans wants to realign the section of the highway so it can be added to a national system of roads that cater to large trucks. The one-mile section is the only part of Highway 101 from San Francisco to the Oregon border where the large semi-trucks aren't permitted, except by a special exemption, the story said.
A vocal group of North Coast residents have asked a federal judge in San Francisco to stop the project.
McBride studied the site and Caltrans' plans. In a court document filed in support of the project's opponents, McBride said that Caltrans' arborists had not accurately stated the project's potential effects on the old-growth redwoods. McBride's analysis concluded that dozens more trees would die as a result of the work, and that the root systems of seven ancient redwoods would be negatively impacted.
"Substantial irreparable damage would occur to the trees in the project area as a result of the proposed project ... (which) would, in turn, cause negative impacts to the overall health of the forest in the vicinity of the project area," McBride wrote.
The judge's ruling is expected this week.
CalTrans wants to remove six redwoods for road project, but UC Berkeley scientist says more will be harmed.
Local food blazing a trail on Napa County map
Responding to Napa County's higher-than-average interest in healthy foods, sustainable principles and wellness lifestyle, the board of supervisors last year created a Local Food Advisory Council. Now the council is looking for citizen input to pursue new initiatives, according to a blog on the Napa County Register website.
Monica Cooper, director of the Napa County University of California Cooperative Extension, is an ex-officio member of the council. Cooper is the county’s viticulture farm advisor and a big champion of expanding local food production, according to a previous article in the newspaper.
“It’s important to have more crop diversity,” Cooper was quoted in the story, and she sees that in small plots, not wide swaths of the county.
Napa's Local Food Advisory Council has identified three priority areas and is seeking volunteers to serve on subcommittees for:
- Education and Outreach: Help design communications networks to encourage public involvement and information sharing, such as advocacy programs, printed materials, events, website, social media, etc.
- Local Food Production and Distribution: Help develop mutually beneficial food supply systems linking local farmers to community kitchens, markets and residents;
- Food Policy: Help influence and communicate county rules, regulations and fees for growing, selling and/or donating food products by both home and commercial producers.
Napa's soil, climate, natural resources and culture position the community to make a positive impact promoting locally grown food and healthful consumption.
Imperial resident wins gold for third time at State 4-H Field Day competition
A click of a mouse, a love for fishing and a fearlessness in public speaking helped Imperial resident Steve Johnson II add more gold pins to his crowded 4-H hat at the State 4-H Field Day at the University of California Davis.
Out of the 700 to 800 participants present at the Memorial Day weekend event, Johnson competed against about 60 of California’s top public speakers utilizing his PowerPoint presentation on fishing in the intermediate audio-visual category.
This marks his third year of winning a gold medal in a state competition where the 4-H students are only allowed to compete in one presentation or judging event per year, said local Star Route 4-H Club community leader Mary Ann Smith.
“The PowerPoint one is the easiest to travel with but the hardest to do,” Smith said.
“Audio-visual is basically a production. You can’t have any other props, no pointers, no anything,” she said. “If you click through it … should stand alone.”
Steve said even though he qualified for state in his first regional competition he didn’t go to the state competition that year “because I didn’t know what it was” four years ago.
Since then the 12-year-old has taken home gold in an illustrated presentation on rocketry and an illustrated presentation on fishing in the previous two state competitions.
“So far that makes me feel really good,” he said. “I just feel accomplished as a public speaker. Now I know what I’m doing.”
“It was really, really competitive,” his father, Steve Johnson I, said.
“There were a lot of kids with a lot of presentations and at this level he had to really come through and shine, and he did,” Johnson said.
“I think I’ve achieved quite a lot for being only 12 years old,” Steve said.
And he plans to go back to state next year, his last in the intermediate category.
“I’m starting to think again about what I’m going to do next year,” he said.
“Hopefully I do make it again,” Steve said.
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
Mary Harmon retires as Imperial County 4-H adviser leaving behind a legacy
Through the countless volunteer leaders and few county advisers in the last three decades, perhaps no one embodies the 4-H program in Imperial County like Mary Harmon.
“This county program is awesome and a lot of it has to do with her,” Carla Paradise, president of the local 4-H Leaders Council, said.
Harmon retired as the Imperial County University of California Cooperative Extension 4-H adviser June 29 after 16 years in that position on two separate occasions (1978-1990, 2007-2011). Yet Harmon has been involved in 4-H throughout most of her life.
“I was a 3-year-old tag-along with my older brothers and sisters,” Harmon, a longtime Brawley resident, said. “When I was old enough to join 4-H I had a fun career myself.”
After attaining the rank of 4-H All Star in her high school years, Harmon continued volunteering with 4-H until graduating from university and working as a 4-H intern at the University of California Cooperative Extension office in San Diego County.
When the position for 4-H adviser opened in Imperial County in 1978 she applied, was hired and held that position until 1990, according to a press release.
“The 4-H adviser was someone I had worked with and he knew that this was something that I could do,” Harmon said. “I’ve been really lucky in a sense since I’ve always had people say, ‘Well I know you can do this so why don’t you apply?’”
In the position as county adviser, Harmon found that “working with adults in leadership development was where I could do the most good,” effectively training adults to become volunteer leaders who then lead their respective 4-H communities/children.
“I really strongly believe that adults have the responsibility to give back to their community and they can do it through 4-H and heading (its various) programs,” Harmon said. “It does get you excited,” she said. “It’s been a great job. It’s been more a way of life for me.”
Other 4-H leaders have always taken notice.
“She’s been a mentor to a lot of people,” Carol George, local 4-H livestock coordinator said. “She’s had a real knack for motivating kids.”
“When we go to the fair or events she knows every single child by name,” Paradise said.
“Even when she took her leave to raise her kids she was still involved as an active 4-H volunteer leader,” George said. “I think 4-H to her is not a job, it’s a family.”
“She was always like our second mom,” 4-H Leaders Council Vice President Sherry Robertson said.
But Harmon can’t leave 4-H behind as she plans to volunteer in leadership development during her retirement.
“(4-H) really is part of how I define myself. It’s been a great job,” Harmon said.
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com