KPCC News In Brief

Governor Schwarzenegger signs nutrition bills

Governor Schwarzenegger today signed into law two bills aimed at Californians’ waistline. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze has the skinny.

Frank Stoltze: Based on department of health statistics, the governor says one in three California children is overweight or at risk of obesity. Second only to tobacco, he says, obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths for adults. Schwarzenegger says Californians have gained 360 million pounds in the last decade.

He says that’s why he signed State Senator Alex Padilla’s bill that requires restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to provide nutritional information about their menus. They’ve got to include the number of calories and grams of saturated fat. Padilla says the law will help people make more informed choices.

The governor also signed a bill that requires vending machines on state property to offer healthier snack choices. It says that at least 35 percent of the food and at least one-third of the beverages they carry must meet government nutritional guidelines within three years.

Tools

• September 30, 2008 2:03 PM
• Categories: Health, Politics/Public Affairs