STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1382

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 114

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 114 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING FOOD SERVICE FACILITIES IN THE STATE THAT OFFER A CHILDREN'S MENU OF MEAL OPTIONS, OR A MEAL THAT IS REPRESENTED AS A CHILDREN'S MEAL, TO SERVE CHILDREN'S MEALS WITH HIGHER NUTRITIONAL QUALITY AND INCLUDE ONLY BOTTLED WATER OR LOW-FAT MILK AS THE DEFAULT BEVERAGE IN THE MEAL OR MENU OPTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage food service facilities in the State that offer a children's menu with various meal options, or a meal that is represented as a children's meal, to serve children's meals with higher nutritional quality and include only bottled water or low-fat milk as the default beverage in the meal or menu option.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and American Heart Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that, on average, children consume almost twice as many calories from a restaurant meal as they do from a meal cooked at home.  Adding sugar sweetened beverages to these meals adds calories and sugar that may contribute to obesity and health problems.  Your Committee further finds that a 2011 report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends increasing access to quality and affordable healthy foods and beverages as a way to improve the food environment for children.  This measure encourages food service facilities in the State to serve children's meals with higher nutritional quality and include only bottled water or low-fat milk as the default beverage option.  Ensuring healthy options are the default option in children's meals can be part of the overall strategy to reduce the consumption of added sugar at meals, which may help reduce the prevalence of obesity in Hawaii.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 114 and recommends its adoption.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair