YMCA Childcare Centers: Expel Junk Food

April 11, 2008 (Petition Active until Junk Food is Expelled from all YMCA Childcare Centers)

Mr. Neil Nicoll
President and CEO
YMCA of the USA
101 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago. IL 60606


Dear Mr. Neil Nicoll and the YMCA of the USA,

Thank you to the YMCA of the USA for the many great things you do for children, in every U.S. community and across all socio-economic strata. We applaud your efforts to provide safe and healthy environments where families and children can gather and participate in life-enriching events.

Given the YMCA's leadership role as Americas largest provider of childcare--serving 500,000 children across 10,000 centers--we parents, advocates, healthcare professionals and concerned citizens urge the YMCA of the USA to make 2 commitments in 2008:

1- End the YMCA of the USAs partnership with PepsiCo upon its expiration in 2010. While the YMCAs Healthy Kids Day and Activate America campaigns are worthy initiatives, having one the worlds largest suppliers of soft drinks and foods of low nutritional value fund the events introduces a conflict of interest.

2- Commit to the long-term elimination of junk food at all YMCA childcare centers including food offered from on-site kitchens, vending machines and meal programs. Reversing Americas obesity crisis will take a multitude of compromises and new considerations. Of particular emphasis will be Americas youngest children ages 0-5, as their body composition, eating patterns and exercise habits are not yet set. Promoting and serving fried food, refined rather than whole grains and those foods containing substances potentially harmful to health (including partially hydrogenated oil, high concentrations of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, high sodium content, nitrites, MSG, synthetic hormones, antibiotics, artificial colors, and artificial sweeteners), undermines the health of the very children entrusted to the YMCAs care and contradicts the YMCA of the USAs own mission statement.

The means and timing to effect the necessary changes are solely up to the YMCA of the USA including its 1,000+ boards of directors and 2,663 individual centers. However, we strongly urge there be no delay in making the 2 commitments immediately.

Just as New York City is considered the domino city, where public health improvement strategies by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are suggested, passed, and then emulated across the country, so too is it our belief that the YMCAs leadership role in eliminating junk food from its childcare centers will begin a cascading effect across all of Americas childcare facilities. The YMCA of the USA will earn credit for being the catalyst for fostering a new generation of healthy children, Gen-H.


Respectfully,

MeMe Roth, CHC
Nutrition Counselor
President
National Action Against Obesity
www.ActionAgainstObesity.com
www.MeMeRoth.net

Dr. Barry Popkin, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Nutrition
Director, UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center (IDOC)
Fellow, Carolina Population Center
Director: The Nutrition Transition Research Program
www.nutrans.org

Dr. Walter Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Chairman, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Co-Investigator, Nurses Health Study I
Principal Investigator, Nurses Health Study II
Author, The Fertility Diet
http://www.amazon.com/Fertility-Diet-Jorge-Chavarro/dp/0071494790

Dr. David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.M., F.A..C.P
Director, Prevention Research Center
Yale University School of Medicine
http://www.davidkatzmd.com/nutritiondetectives.aspx

Chevy Chase
Actor, Writer
Co-Founder, Center for Environmental Education
Child Nutrition Advocate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ-1O4HdYes

Jayni Chase
Co-Founder, Center for Environmental Education
Child Nutrition Advocate
Environment, Health, Education, Safety Advocate and Author
http://www.ceeonline.org/about/about.aspx

Dr. Melissa Glassman, M.D.
Asst. Attending Pediatrician, Columbia University Medical Center / Morgan-Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
Co-author of studies examining early childhood obesity risk factors in ages 1-5.
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/press_releases/Melissa_Glassman-Obese_Children.html

Dr. Ruby Natale, Ph.D, Psy.D.
Asst. Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
University of Miami School of Medicine
Mailman Center for Child Development
Co-author of studies examining early childhood obesity risk factors in childcare centers for children ages 2-5.
http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?id=7425&pid=1138
http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=361

Dr. Susan Linn, Ed.D.
Associate Director, Media Center, Judge Baker Children Center
Director, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Author, Consuming Kids
www.commercialfreechildhood.org

Dr. Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
Co-Founder of RealAge
Co-Author, You on a Diet
Chief Wellness Officer, Cleveland Clinic
www.realage.com
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/

Dr. Neal D. Barnard, M.D.
Nutrition Researcher, Author, Health Advocate
Adjunct Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Medicine
Founder, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
www.pcrm.org

Chef Ann Cooper
Director of Nutrition Services, Berkeley, CA Unified School District
Renegade LunchLady
Author, Lunch Lessons
www.lunchlessons.org

Joshua Rosenthal
Founder, Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Author, Integrative Nutrition
http://www.amazon.com/Integrative-Nutrition-Joshua-Rosenthal/dp/097952640X
www.integrativenutrition.com

Dr. Jennifer L. Ashton, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
National Medical Contributor, FOX News Channel
www.drjenniferashton.com

Kate Adamick, JD
Chef, School Food Expert
Food Systems Solutions, LLC
Consultant, The Orfalea Fund
www.sCoolFood.org

Stephen Joseph
CEO, BanTransFat.com, Inc.
www.bantransfat.com

Amy Kalafa
Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor
Award-Winning Producer
Two Angry Moms
www.angrymoms.org

Dr. Susan Rubin, D.M.D, H.H.C.
Holistic Health Counselor
Featured in film Two Angry Moms
Founder, Better School Food
www.betterschoolfood.org

Ann W. Armstrong, Ed.D
Executive Director, The Center for Educational Outreach & Innovation
President, Teachers College Innovations
Columbia University

MaryRose Barranco Morris, Ed.D.
Director, Continuing Education & Outreach Programs and the New Teacher Academy,
The Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation, Teachers College
Columbia University

Bryan Young
Producer, Shinebox Media
Killer at Large
http://www.killeratlarge.com/

Joel Christian McEwen
Director, Wolf & Moon Productions
American Dream
www.americandreamthemovie.com

Dr. Lisa R. Young, Ph.D, R.D.
Author
The Portion Teller Plan
www.portionteller.com

Josh Golin
Associate Director
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
www.commercialfreechildhood.org

Julia Havey
Author, Motivational Speaker
www.vicebustingdiet.com

Cathy Sorbo
Comedian, Columnist, Social Satirist
www.CathySorbo.com

Dr. Gary Huber, D.O.
Health and Nutrition Expert
www.healthyalterego.org

Dena Smith Givens
Health Counselor
Founder, Publisher, Executive Editor
Primal Parenting Magazine
www.primalparentingmagazine.com

Patrick Wright
Documentary Films Director
Chair, Video Department
Maryland Institute College of Art

Felicia Brodzky
Founder, Integration Health
Personal Integrative Health Counselor
www.integrationhealth.com

Yvette Berman
Executive Director, Whole Lunches Program
School Food Expert

Katy Attebery
Womens Heart Disease Expert
Co-Founder Queen of Hearts Foundation
www.qohf.org

Phyllis McCarthy
Integrative Nutrition Expert
Certified Health Counselor

Amy Groh
YMCA IGNITE Instructor
Northern Neck Family YMCA
Kilmarnock, VA

Holly L. Halvorson, M.A., Ed.S.
School Psychologist
Childrens Librarian
YMCA Member

Karen Fletcher
Pre-K Teacher
CDA Certified

Charlotte Schoenke
Preschool Teacher

Jo Wehage
Certified Wellness Consultant