Tennessee Automatic Merchandising Association Updates State Obesity Task Force On Anti-Obesity Measures

The Tennessee Automatic Merchandising Association (TAMA) participated in the Tennessee Obesity Task Force (TOTF) annual policy setting meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Funded by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, TOTF was established in 2007 as a statewide coalition of health, civic and government policymakers working to combat the problem of obesity in Tennessee.

During the meeting, TAMA leadership provided information on its efforts to promote healthier consumers, and encouraged TOTF to support legislation/regulations/policies (in the upcoming Tennessee Legislative Session) that provide real solutions to obesity issues while protecting the state's vending economy.

The meeting yielded a number of positive outcomes, including TOTF's agreement: a) to consider supporting a reduction (or elimination) of taxes on certain foods and produce, and "healthy" vending items; b) not to support or file draft "soda-tax" legislation, c) consideration of TAMA's input regarding the state's procurement process to extend the reach of healthy vending to more entities and employers. For more information, please contact Sheree Edwards at [email protected].