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♦ SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2005
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COL. RICK MATTHEWS
OBESITY
From page 1A
in recent years, from a pro
posal for daily physical edu
cation through seventh
grade to a requirement that
health insurers pay for gas
tric bypass surgery.
But so far, none of those
ideas have taken root. In
fact, the only obesity-related
legislation approved in
recent years was a measure
to protect fast-food restau
rants from obesity lawsuits.
A handful of legislators
interested in the obesity cri
sis say they aren’t giving up.
A bipartisan group of law
makers, mostly women, are
planning new attacks to get
their colleagues interested
in bills aimed at slimming
down Georgians.
“It’s an epidemic,” said
Rep. Judy Manning, a
Marietta Republican who
WINGS
From page 1A
money from its municipal
court.
“Municipal Court is not a
money-maker for us,” he
said. “We lose money on it.
We would not want to turn it
into a money-maker.”
Foglton assured the coun
cil that the system was not
set up to be a cash cow for
the city. He said state law
required that any money
made by the system over
and above its cost would
have to be tunneled into pro
grams for driver education
and the like.
Foglton also told the coun-
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WINGS
From page 1A
closely align with the air
logistics center and the Air
Force Material Command
with the structure of other
major commands in the Air
Force.
Heading up the 330th
Aircraft Sustainment Wing
is Col. Rick Matthews, the
542nd Combat Sustainment
Wing, John H. Blair, the
402nd Maintenance Wing,
Kenneth I. Percell.
Blair said workers in all
wings involved would see a
clearer chain of command
and line of communication.
This new structure is not
a reduction of employees,
only a restructuring of com
mand.
Maj. Gen. Mike Collings,
commander of the WR-ALC,
opened the ceremony.
Collings quoted a news
article that said wing
restructuring is “making an
extraordinary organization
even better, focusing on the
capabilities and different
strategies of a new com
mand.”
According to RAFB’s
leads the House Children
and Youth Committee. “It’s
killing our kids and our old
people. This is serious.”
Manning has a lot of sup
port from the medical com
munity. A recent study
released by the Healthcare
Georgia Foundation report
ed that about one in five
Georgia children are over
weight. Another one in six
are at risk of becoming over
weight. Less than a third of
Georgia middle and high
school students attend daily
PE classes.
Dr. Bill Kanto, chairman
of pediatrics at the Medical
College of Georgia, said it’s
time that lawmakers took a
serious look at tackling child
obesity.
“You can take soft drinks
out of schools, and there’s
some data that if you cut fat
cil that grants were avail
able to held defray the
monthly cost of the system.
Foglton said that the com
pany had installed their sys
tem in Los Angeles and
other cities nationwide. He
said that California law
required them to send a
ticket to the driver of the
offending vehicle so that
system there took videos of
the driver. He said Georgia
law required them to ticket
the owner of the offending
vehicle so the system here
takes videos of the license
plate only.
“We will not be taking pic
tures of the drivers or what
987-7166
Office of Public Affairs, the
duties and missions of the
wings are:
• The 330th Aircraft
Sustainment Wing consoli
dates management of more
than 5,500 aircraft, and
manages the Air Force’s
fleet of C-130, C-5, C-141, C
-17, F-15, U-2, and the E-8C
Joint STARS aircraft. The
330th is composed of five
groups.
• The 542nd Combat
Sustainment Wing installs,
distributes, modernizes and
sustains combat systems for
the Department of Defense
and foreign military sales
customers. The wing is com
posed of six groups.
The 402nd Maintenance
Wing manages depot-level
maintenance production
and manufacturing facilities
and laboratories in the
restoration of Air Force
equipment, and is responsi
ble for sustainment of
avionic and electric warfare
systems, depot maintenance
for four aircraft weapon sys
tems. The wing is composed
of five groups.
down you can do better.
What I’m concerned about is
we’re not going to get a good
public health approach to
it,” said Kanto, who is also
co-director of the Georgia
Center for the Prevention of
Obesity and Related
Disorders.
Despite the alarming obe
sity rates, there’s a great
deal of resistance among
lawmakers when it comes to
passing laws on the subject.
Some wonder whether legis
lators can make any differ
ence. Others see weight as a
personal matter, outside the
purview of the law.
“This is a societal prob
lem,” said Rep. Brooks
Coleman, R-Duluth, chair
man of the House Education
Committee, which so far has
not taken up bills requiring
schools to do more about
is going on in the vehicles, so
there will be no violation of
anyone’s privacy,” he said.
Foglton said that the com
pany reviews the video of
each offense to make certain
that there is a violation
before sending out a ticket.
He said that they make sure
that the vehicle running the
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Col. Dave Nakayama congratulates John Blair who was named director of the 542nd
Combat Sustainment Wing, one of three wing organizations that were announced
Friday. Nakayama is vice commander of the 542nd CSW.
obesity.
Some of the proposals
before the committee
include a requirement that
schools weigh children twice
a year, sending warnings
home to parents about the
dangers of being too heavy;
and a requirement for more
PE time.
“It’s a bigger problem
than can be addressed in the
schools,” Coleman said. “I
don’t care how much we do
to combat obesity. We only
have them six hours a day.
When they go home, if they
have unhealthy eating
habits or they’re sitting in
front of the TY they’re still
going to have a problem.”
The lawmakers behind the
obesity measures concede
that their ideas aren’t going
to become law anytime soon.
So they’re lowering their
red light was not doing so to
avoid a collision or oncom
ing emergency vehicle. He
said that the person cited
has the right to appeal the
citation.
Police officers present
were enthusiastic about the
system.
“It is cost-effective and
expectations and hoping to
pass smaller measures that
will be palatable to their col
leagues and, they hope, lead
to broader plans.
Manning has suggested a
study committee on child
nutrition and obesity. Study
committees are common
destinations for bold ideas
that lawmakers want to con
sider, but aren’t ready to
vote on yet. First up, sup
porters say, is to change the
minds of lawmakers who
think obesity is none of their
business.
“We have an obligation to
look out for the well-being
and the welfare of the people
of this state,” said Rep.
Keith Heard, D-Athens, who
sponsored the mandatory
PE bill.
Another incremental bill
would create a special
time-effective,” said Police
Maj. John Wagner. Wagner
said it was dangerous for
officers to try to chase down
vehicles that run a red light
during peak traffic hours.
Officers cited the intersec
tions at Moody Road and
Russell Parkway, Russell
Parkway and Houston Lake
1812HWY41 N. • PERRY
987-1112
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
license plate to raise money
for physical education. That
proposal, like many of the
anti-obesity bills, is backed
by the state PTA.
“We need to get PE back
in our schools,” said Lynn
Sanchez, health chair
woman for the Georgia PTA.
“Lawmakers need to make
this problem a priority.
Right now some are and
some aren’t.”
For the lawmakers who
aren’t swayed by the studies
about growing obesity, some
activists are turning to fig
ures they know politicians
understand: dollars and
cents. The programs to
improve nutrition and fit
ness in schools may be
expensive, they argue, but
it’ll save the state money
later in reduced health costs
for obese adults.
Road, and Houston Lake
Road and Watson Boulevard
as places where the system
could be implemented.
Walker asked council
members to consider the
program while instructing
City Attorney Jim Elliott to
review case law on the sub
ject.
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