Feb. 21--Two and a half years after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted a highly publicized obesity prevention summit, his administration has failed to follow through on most of its own recommendations, the chairman of a state Senate panel charged Wednesday.
During a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Obesity and Diabetes, Sen. Alex Padilla noted the governor even vetoed a bill he introduced last year that would have implemented one of those recommendations.
Senate Bill 120 -- which Padilla plans to reintroduce today -- would have required restaurants to list calorie information on menus.
In his veto message, the governor said Californians' health has been a priority for him, but added the legislation would have increased costs for restaurants.
Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, told the Senate panel that Schwarzenegger made a "difficult decision" and is working with the restaurant industry on other options. But Padilla, whose working-class district has skyrocketing rates of obesity and diabetes, said the administration has not demonstrated the urgency needed to tackle the problem.
"We didn't get to where we are on tobacco (cessation) by working cooperatively with the industry," the Los Angeles Democrat told Horton.
Padilla noted that a poll commissioned by the California Endowment released this week found that Californians now view obesity as the most important health issue facing children and lamented that the 51 recommendations in governor's obesity prevention plan were riddled with passive verbs like "encourage" and "consider."
Padilla charged that the governor's efforts to combat obesity peaked on Sept. 15, 2005, when the governor held his summit on health, nutrition and obesity at Cal Expo in Sacramento.
On that day, the governor created a honor roll of companies that he said had responded to his challenge to make nutritious foods more accessible. Padilla said that was "akin to awarding a medal before the race" and noted one of the honorees was McDonald's Corp.
"Honoring McDonald's at an obesity summit is like honoring Phillip Morris at a tobacco control summit -- it doesn't make sense," Padilla said.
Padilla said McDonald's never followed through on its pledge to print healthy eating messages on tray liners. The company, he said, forwarded him a letter it sent the administration complaining about "lack of follow-through by the summit committee."
A review by his staff, Padilla said, found few of the companies honored "had fulfilled all of their commitments."
Padilla said Dole Food Co., for example, acknowledged it had not fulfilled its commitment to provide portable salad bars to 50 California schools.
He also said Brendan Theatres told his staff the administration never provided the company with public service announcements its theaters offered to run before movie screenings.
Horton did not dispute Padilla's findings but said the senator could have cited as many cases in which companies kept their commitments.
He noted the governor also signed legislation to expand access to healthy foods in schools and increase funding for physical education.
Horton said Schwarzenegger also demonstrated his commitment to reducing obesity by making prevention and wellness programs a central part of his health care reform plan, which a Senate panel voted down last month.
Padilla criticized the administration for putting "all its eggs in one basket."
But Horton said the governor remains committed to an overhaul of the health care system that includes increased obesity prevention efforts.
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