Two recent studies in medical journals build on the mounting evidence: Food and drink makers are funding their own research studies that (not surprisingly) fail to reveal the health risks from their products that have been repeatedly proven elsewhere. At the same time, these companies are coming up with creative corporate-responsibility campaigns that hide the risks of empty calories behind campaigns for wellness, exercise, and support of Black and Latino communities—the very ones that would benefit most from replacing processed food with fresh choices.

Nowhere is the impact of corporate muscle more evident than in New York City, where 58 percent of adults are overweight or obese, with that rate reaching 70 percent in Black, Latino and low-income communities—and where Mayor Michael Bloomberg has faced a barrage of criticism for his plan to ban the sale of soft drinks larger than 16 oz. Organizations like the NAACP—which has a goal to eradicate health disparities—has sued to block the law, claiming it will hurt minority-owned small businesses (not to mention the effect the ban will have on the NAACP’s deep-pocketed corporate sponsors). The federal government has been asked to step in, but so far nothing’s happened.

It’s not all bad news from corporate America. Some health-based organizations take a direct approach to bringing healthy food to communities they serve. Kaiser Permanente has had Community Health Initiatives since 2004—with strategies such as supporting a weekly farmers market in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood (where 98 percent of residents are Black or Latino) beginning to show results; and a commitment to provide healthier food to Kaiser’s own employees and patients. Kaiser Permanente and Time Warner’s HBO have also funded the documentary series The Weight of the Nation, shown on HBO last spring but now available free online.

Kaiser Permanente is No. 3 in the DiversityInc Top 50, and Time Warner is No. 40.

The post Why Are So Many Blacks & Latinos Fat? Research From Manufacturers Hides the Truth appeared first on DiversityInc.

Additionally, the University of Texas at Austin and the Points of Light Foundation found that volunteer programs can contribute to employee skill development, improve leadership skills, foster teamwork and add to job satisfaction. Fifty-eight percent use their employee volunteer program for recruiting and retaining employees, and 97 percent of employee-volunteer managers thought employee volunteering provided a way to improve employee teamwork.

For example, Prudential, No. 9 in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 and DiversityInc’s Top Company for Community Development in 2011, held a “Breaking the Gala Addiction” competition and asked nonprofits to submit business plans to create revenue-generating ventures that will raise money and reduce their reliance on expensive gala events, grants and donations. The Community Food Bank’s “Grains for Good” project won first place, which included a $75,000 grant from Prudential and three months of project-management assistance from a team of Prudential volunteers.

“They brought in their own marketing people from Prudential who worked with us redesigning the packaging, the bags that these bagel crisps are going to come in, and provided us with a brand new design and even a big poster on an easel we could display at a big event we had a few weeks ago,” says Richard J. Uniacke, director of market development at Community Food Bank of New Jersey.

Additional company success stories in the article are included from PricewaterhouseCoopers (No. 1) and Time Warner (No. 40).

However, before you start giving your employees time off to volunteer, you’ll want to set some guidelines to establish and support their efforts. In this 2,000-word Employee Volunteer Programs article, DiversityInc provides the eight best practices that companies need for a successful employee-volunteer program. Among the top three: firm commitment and communication; recognizing the activity as a valid use of time; and encouraging senior managers to lead by example and volunteer themselves.

Additional best practices detailed in the article include:

• Offering skilled volunteerism as an option for employees
• Helping employees find the right volunteer opportunity
• Providing training
• Giving recognition
• Tapping into experienced employees and retirees

Read the full Employee Volunteer Programs article at DiversityIncBestPractices.com.

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