Network For A Healthy California – Worksite Program

Introduction

The Network for a Healthy California is a program that is based in California, USA. The program is a health initiative run by the California Department of Public Health and managed by the Public Health Institute. The network was established in 1997 and aims to reach approximately 7 million Californians who are low income earners and their children. Several venues have been used to promote is program namely the worksite, schools and homes. The program was initiated on a need basis after a research was conducted on low income California workers. The research revealed that the employees were not conducting physical exercises or eating healthy foods. The worksite program developed a Fit Business Kit to promote workers in eating fruits and vegetables as well as exercising.

Programme Objectives

The Network for a Healthy California has a worksite program whose target is California citizens who are low income earners. The program promotes consumption of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and conduction of physical activity. These activities are promoted with an aim of preventing and reducing obesity, heart disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes. The worksite program has three main goals. The program aims to improve access of fruits and vegetables to Californian employees. It also aims to promote the conduct of physical activities at the work place. The program also aims to promote health through public policies at work places. Lastly, it aims to encourage low income Californians to choose healthy lifestyle choices.

The California Fit Business Kit

The kit is a resource that contains 10 components whose aim is to promote healthy eating habits and exercise among California workers. The components are designed to suit any workplace and can be implemented either as a single component or as many components. The ten components include i) Check for Health, ii), Vending Machine Food and Beverage Standards, iii) Healthy Meeting Policies, iv) Wellness Committee, v) Simple Steps to ordering Farm Fresh produce for the Worksite, vi) A Guide to Creating Worksite Walking Clubs, vii) Healthy Dining Menu Guidelines, viii) Healthy Stairwells Tool, ix) A Guide to Establishing a Worksite Farmers’ Market and x) Take Action!.

Rationale

The vending machine food and beverage standards tool is a component in the California Fit Business kit. This tool promotes set food and beverage standards that should be enforced in all vending machines at the work place. Employees are accustomed to eating food away from home. Some of these foods are snacks and can be accessed from conveniently placed vending machines at the work place. The snacks are usually accessed during work breaks in the morning or afternoon. Most snacks stocked in vending machines are unhealthy and contain a lot of sugars, fats and calories that are unhealthy. The vending machine food and beverage standards toolkit informs employers and employees of types of foods that are healthy and should be stocked in vending machines.

Standards Indicated in the Tool

The tool lists mandatory and recommended for both foods and beverages. These include i) mandatory food nutrition standards, ii) recommended food nutrition standards, iii) mandatory pricing/ placement standards for foods, iv) mandatory beverage nutrition standards and v) mandatory pricing /placement standards for beverages. Examples of these standards are indicated in the following text. There are three mandatory food nutrition standards that should be applied to 50 per cent of foods that are available in vending machines at the workplace. Firstly, these foods should not contain more than 35% of calories from total fat (excluding nuts and seeds). Secondly, the foods should not have more than 10% of calories from saturated fat. Lastly, the foods should not contain more than 35% sugar by weight (excluding fruits and vegetables; however it is compulsory for canned fruit to be packed in 100 per cent fruit juice or water).

Adoption of the vending machine food and beverage standards tool by employers has many advantages. One advantage is that foods and beverages with high calories and fat available in vending machines will be replaced with healthier thus promoting better eating habits. The toolkit provides a list of mandatory and recommended nutrition standards for both foods and beverages. The tool provides a list of vendors who supply healthy foods in the states thus sourcing for food is easier. Another strength of the tool is that it shows one how to calculate nutrition facts and what the facts mean. Pricing of foods and beverages is also clearly indicated in the toolkit.

The vending machine food and beverages tool has weaknesses. This tool does not cater for everyone in the workplace. People are different and have different food preferences. In addition, people prefer to have a choice in what they eat. Most individuals prefer to have a large variety of healthy or unhealthy foods they can eat. Another disadvantage is that it will take some time for this strategy to work. It takes a while before adults adjust their food preferences from foods with high calories and fats to healthier foods.