The California Center for Public Health Advocacy is established.

First in the nation: Sponsor state legislation addressing childhood obesity, including a proposal to tax sugary drinks.

Publish study showing continued rise in childhood obesity; gain media attention a week before final vote on school nutrition bills.

Join with Governor Schwarzenegger to extend the sugary drink sales ban to high schools (Read bill SB 965).

Prohibit the sale of junk food in California’s K-12 schools (Read bill SB 12).

Join with other advocates to get schools a $500 million one-time budget allocation for PE, plus $20 million in ongoing funding for PE teachers.

Develop the Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI), showing that California has 4 times as many unhealthy food outlets as healthy ones.

Publish study showing a direct link between retail food environments and obesity and diabetes, disproportionately harming underserved communities.

First in the nation: Require that menus in chain restaurants show calories (Read bill SB 1420).

Publish study showing that a soda a day increases obesity risk by 27%, and a second study estimating the annual economic cost of obesity and inactivity in California at $41 billion.

Launch the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities Campaign helping underserved cities to enact local health policies.

Publish study showing the stark divide between counties with declining obesity rates and those with rates continuing to rise.

Join with water advocates to establish the human right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water in California (Read bill AB 685).

Expand HEAL Cities Campaign to Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, and Virginia.

Join in launching Building Healthy Communities in Boyle Heights, California. Begin mobilizing students to promote water consumption and restorative justice in Los Angeles Unified School District.

Launch the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) campaign in Stockton, California. Work with African American churches to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

Publish study showing rising rates of sugary drink consumption among teens, especially among teens of color.

Publish study showing that diabetes is tied to a third of California hospital stays.

First in the nation: Sponsor sugary drink warning label legislation, passing it through the California Senate (Read bill SB 1000).

California Center for Public Health Advocacy becomes Public Health Advocates, reflecting our expanded scope.

Publish study showing that 55% of California adults have either diabetes or prediabetes.

First in the nation: Sponsor successful state budget request to make the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program a covered service under Medi-Cal.

Ban soda and junk food marketing from California schools (Read bill AB 841).

Make water or milk the default option in restaurant kids meals (Read bill SB 1192).

Receive $10 million state allocation to launch All Children Thrive (ACT-CA). (Read bill SB 840).

Extend CDC-funded Stockton REACH project by 5 years, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, and childhood trauma prevention.

Mentor high school students to secure $6 million for the Stockton Unified School District to address childhood trauma, and $6 million for safe drinking water throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Help 12 low-income cities apply for Prop 68 park bond funds in park-poor California communities.

Celebrate 20 years of changing laws and expanding possibilities that increase health equity for Californians and beyond.