On October 2nd, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed a bill into law making the city the latest of several cities and states to require restaurants offering bundled kids’ meals to make the default beverage in those meals a healthy one. The ADA’s legislative and regulatory prevention priority includes supporting policies aimed at reducing obesity and improving nutrition. The ADA is supportive of this policy which makes it easier for parents to make healthy choices for their children. Beverages are the largest source of added sugars in the U.S. diet.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity now affects 1 in 5 children and adolescents. For more information about the new Philadelphia law, please contact Stephen Habbe, Director of State Government Affairs at shabbe@diabetes.org. To find out if your city or state has this type of policy in place, contact Lisa Murdock, Vice President of State Government Affairs at lmurdock@diabetes.org.