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Dear Neighbor,
The
King County Board of Health recently took historic action
to require nutritional menu labeling in King County chain
restaurants and to eliminate artificial trans fat in all King
County restaurants. As Chair of the Board of Health, I brought
forward these proposals to protect the health of the public
and to promote healthy behaviors that improve health and prevent
illness. In this newsletter, you will find more information
about these new requirements. You also will find information
about how King County is honoring the memory and service of
the late Norm Maleng-- long-time county prosecutor. Finally,
with summer in full swing, I've provided information about
some local cultural and recreational opportunities, as well
as information about caring for your pets in warm weather.
It is an honor to represent you on the County Council, and
as always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Julia
Patterson Menu Labeling & Ban on Trans Fat
As the frequency of eating out has increased in recent years, so too has the number of people in King County living with and dying from obesity, diabetes and heart disease. 54% of King County adults - 719,000 people -- are overweight or obese. This is up from 39% just 20 years ago. Heart disease is the second leading killer in King County. These conditions are driving huge increases in our healthcare costs and are costing tax payers millions of dollars every year. Obesity accounts for $117 billion in annual health care costs across the nation. Following eight months of study and recommendations from a stakeholder committee that I formed last Spring, the King County Board of Health acted to provide consumers with accurate information about the food they eat when dining out and voted to remove artificial trans fats from all local restaurants. When we eat out at local restaurants, we lack the information needed to make healthy food choices. More than half of all restaurants don’t provide consumers nutritional information and for those that do, the information is most often not readily available. The Board of Health's actions remove the guess work for everyone so we can make healthy and informed decisions when we go out to eat. Until now, restaurants in King County have continued to use dangerous trans fat in fried and baked goods, when alternatives exist. Trans fats are unsafe and virtually invisible to the consumer in restaurants. They represents the modern day equivalent of lead in paint. Studies show that consuming trans fat increases the likelihood of heart disease, which is the second leading killer in King County, taking 2,714 lives in 2003. The Board of Health is responsible for passing laws to protect the health of the public, and to promote healthy behaviors that improve health and prevent illness. There is no better example of our commitment to residents’ health than these new requirements.
The Metropolitan King County Council today recognized the life and career of the late Norm Maleng by naming the County’s Regional Justice Center in Kent in honor of the County’s longtime prosecuting attorney and innovator of criminal justice reforms. Naming our Regional Justice Center after Norm Maleng not only memorializes him in an area of King County government where he made an incredible impact, but will remind us every time we drive by or hear the Center’s new name that we should strive to live our life as Norm did, with honor, dignity, respect and compassion. Maleng, who passed away suddenly on May 24, was first elected prosecuting attorney in 1978 and served six terms in office. During his tenure, he created and implemented a number of innovative programs in his office, including the County’s nationally-recognized sexual assault prosecution unit, a specialized homicide investigation and prosecution unit, a victim assistance unit, and a comprehensive domestic violence prosecution unit that involves an advocate for victims of domestic violence in District Courts throughout King County. Maleng was also a proponent of programs that provided alternatives to incarceration such as the County’s Drug Court, which offers first-time non-violent offenders an opportunity for diversion to drug treatment programs. The Regional Justice Center, which opened in March 1997, houses King County Superior and District Courts, a 1,100 bed detention facility, and deputies from the Prosecuting Attorney’s office and King County Sheriff’s office.
Des Moines Waterland 5K - August 25th The City of Des Moines Parks & Recreation Department is sponsoring their 6th Annual Waterland 5k Run and Fun Walk at the Des Moines Marina on Saturday, August 25th, 2007. There are many divisions to choose from for boys, girls, men, and women of all ages. The Race will start at 9am and check-in will begin at 7am. Cost is pre-registration $17 6/1-7/1, registration $20 7/2-8/17, race-day registration $25. For additional information and registration materials, please stop by the Des Moines Field House at 1000 South 220th St., Des Moines, Washington or call them at (206) 870-6527 and they would be happy to mail you a brochure. Information is also available on their website at: www.desmoineswa.gov/waterland5k.
Aviation
High School in the Highline School District, in partnership
with the Wing Luke Museum, recently was awarded a $9000
grant from 4Culture-- the county cultural authority. The
funding was approved as part of the 2007 Heritage Cultural
Education awards, supporting seven projects bringing innovative
classroom-based projects to schools and students throughout
King County. For more information about cultural programs and events in South King County, I encourage you to visit the website for the South King County Cultural Coalition (SoCo Culture). Here you will find information in one place about South King County cultural organizations, programs and events, including dance, heritage, literary, music, theater, and visual arts. The webpage includes a link to calendar listing upcoming events and programs right here in our community in South King County.
Keeping Our Pets Safe The King County Council recently adopted measures I sponsored to improve animal welfare, but there is more we can do, as individuals, to look out for the well-being of our pets. As temperatures rise, pet owners are encouraged to take extra precautions to keep furry friends healthy and safe. Eight tips to protect your pets in warm weather: 1. Never leave pets in parked vehicles for any length of time. On a warm day, the temperature in a vehicle can reach 120 degrees within minutes, even with the windows cracked. Dogs and cats do not perspire and can only dispel heat by panting and through the pads of their feet. Animals left in parked cars can die from heatstroke. 2. Provide plenty of water and shade for your pets so they can stay cool and hydrated during the warm weather. 3. If you have a pool, prevent free access to the pool by your pets. Pets and pools can equal a drowning tragedy. 4. Spay or neuter your unaltered dog. The number of dog bites increases during warm weather, and spaying or neutering reduces the likelihood that your dog will wander or bite, along with providing other health benefits. 5. Make sure your pet is licensed. If you are separated from your pet, a current King County pet license will ensure your animal is returned to you. Not only will you be notified if your lost pet is found, your pet will get a free ride home the first time it is impounded.
6. Be careful with the use of fertilizers and other products
around the lawn and garden. Plant food, fertilizer, and insecticides
can be fatal if your pet ingests them. 8. Summer is flea and tick season, so make sure your flea and tick treatment is recommended by your veterinarian. Citizens who see an animal in a parked car or pets otherwise in need of assistance can call King County Animal Services at 206-296-PETS (7387) or dial 911. King
County Health Panel Passes Ban on Trans Fats, Tacoma
News Tribune 7/21/07. |
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