NEWS RELEASE
BOULDER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
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On Sept. 14, the Longmont City Council voted to approve a Healthy Drinks in Children’s Meals Ordinance, a city ordinance aimed at promoting children’s health by requiring that healthy beverages such as water and milk be promoted on restaurant kids’ menus.
This policy does not prevent a parent from ordering any drink they choose for their child. The ordinance is similar to one passed in Lafayette passed in 2017.
The ordinance was spearheaded by the Healthy Longmont coalition, a group of individuals, businesses and organizations committed to promoting children’s health in Longmont. Members include Salud Family Health Centers, The Roost, St. Vrain Healthy Kids, Ollin Farms the OUR Center, along with several other local organizations. National health groups also support the measure as a best practice in improving children’s health including the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Healthy Longmont coalition member Sean Gafner, owner of The Roost, Smokin’ Bowls and Jefe’s removed sugary drinks from his kids’ menu years ago.
“Sugary drinks aren’t big for our family—we generally drink water, unsweetened tea and milk—but when we saw the numbers linking soda to health problems, it was an easy step to take. We simply only listed water and milk with our kids’ meals. We haven’t had any negative feedback,” Gafner said. “Our core values state that we want to be leaders in Longmont; we want to be a part of a city that thrives economically, emotionally and physically.”
“Sugary drinks are a major factor that contribute to obesity and chronic disease,” said Camille Rodriguez, Boulder County Public Health’s executive director. “Efforts like this one help reduce the amount of sugary drinks our children drink by providing parents with healthy options as the default.”
Sugary drinks are a major contributor to chronic disease for children and adults alike. They are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet. Children who drink at least one sugary beverage a day are a third more likely to die from a heart attack as an adult, 26% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and 55% more likely to experience overweight or obesity. Over a quarter (26.6%) of Boulder County children 5-14 years old are experiencing overweight or obesity, a 43% increase since 2003.
The impact of sugary drink consumption on health is also an issue of equity; children of color are disproportionally impacted. In Colorado, 19% of children consume one or more sugary drink per day while 30% of Latino children drink one or more sugar drink per day. A significant reason for this disparity is the targeted marketing beverage companies use to market to kids, particularly children of color.
What restaurants serve to children is increasingly important. Americans eat meals outside of their home more than ever; half of food expenditures are now spent at restaurants and the average family eats out four or more times per week. A child who eats out four times per week and who has a sugary beverage each time can gain eight pounds of additional weight annually.
Area youth are also involved, spearheading a social media campaign educating their peers on the health effects of sugary beverages. You can see their campaign on Instagram at “hidden.sugar” and on TikTok at “hiddensugar.”
James Kerrane, a local freshman and member of the social media campaign remarked, “Of kids born in the year 2000 or later, one in three will develop type 2 diabetes. For kids of color, that number rises to one in two. The reckless advertising and promotion of daily sugar consumption has fueled the United States’ childhood obesity epidemic. The dangerous amounts of sugar in these drinks can lead to heart disease and diabetes even if you’re not obese. We need to act now to improve the health of kids in our community.”
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