Posted on 05/18/2010 8:46:49 AM PDT by broken_arrow1
City Manager Sheryl Sculley has declared war on sugar.
Well, at least when it comes packaged in cans and candy bars. Sugary sodas no longer have a home in the city's 250 beverage vending machines and unhealthy foods in the 75 snack machines in city facilities are next.
“I asked the staff to remove the high-calorie soda drinks from our vending machines,” Sculley said. “I'm a fitness person, and I care about our employees, and I want them to be healthy. And I think this is a very small gesture.”
The new city policy is only for vending machines and doesn't ban employees from consuming fatty foods and drinks at work.
“But we don't have to promote it,” Sculley said.
Camille Miller, president and CEO of the Austin-based Texas Health Institute, a public policy think tank, said she's unaware of any other municipality that's adopted similar policies in the state. New York City has similar rules, she added.
‘Just good policy' “My hat is off to a government employee saying that a government facility shouldn't make it easy for people to be unhealthy,” Miller said. “We know that whatever people have access to, that's what they're going to get when they're in a hurry.”
Making healthy items easily available is “just good policy,” she said.
The beverage machines now contain water, juices and diet drinks.
Sculley said the policy aligns with the city's wellness program, instituted three years ago.
“We know that statistically that people who are overweight or obese have greater health problems than those who do not,” she said. “We're about educating community and we think we can lead by example.”
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Telephone (210) 207-7080 Fax (210) 207-4217
The City Manager's Office provides centralized direction and leadership for the effective administration and operations of all municipal services for the City of San Antonio as directed by the City Council and serves as the focal point for the management of the City staff agencies. The City Manager's Office prepares and submits to the City Council a balanced plan of municipal services in adherence with the policy goals and objectives established by the City Council while employing such managerial techniques as needed to assure efficient and effective utilization of the City's resources.
http://www.sanantonio.gov/manager/
I’d like to see San Antonio ban pinatas.
It’s obvious that this guy doesn’t have enough serious work to do.
San Antonio needs to tell the city manager to go suck an egg; then boot her out of office.
I’m sure those carob coated tofu bars will be a big hit.
Effing liberal control freaks.
Scully is a grossly overpaid government twit.
Along with this pleasant move by the city manager will be an upswing of employees bringing Coke/Pepsi/Dr.Pepper/MountainDew filled coolers to work, along with those big bags of Nestles mini-candy bars you get at Costco for about 8 bucks.
government officials telling people what to eat or drink. The fact that they even do this without any concern for backlash tells you how far we have fallen
I detest control freaks.
It's obvious that 9 out of 10 FReepers who leave a comment on this thread aren't going to read anything but the title.
What is it with people telling us what to eat? And how DARE anyone disparage what’s available in the richest (well at least for now;) nation on earth? There are BILLIONS of people who would walk five miles, one way, for a taste of what many Americans deride as “junk”!
I have no problem with the city dictating what is going to be in THEIR vending machines, lunchrooms, etc.
As long as they leave the rest of us alone, I’m fine with it.
A whole lot of “I” want, “I” feel, I believe. That is the basis for dictatorship.
It's San Antonio. The drink of choice is Big Red. mmmm.
Response: These people are petty tyrants. Their own personal whims are being translated into law and/or policy(which today are the same thing.)
Comment: People in the effected city should mount a recall if local law allows it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.