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New York City Setting A Good
Example To Help Prevent Disease
New York City was the first to introduce calorie labeling for restaurants
that have 10 or more locations. Then they added the trans-fat ban.
But that's not all they're doing to prevent disease and combat the
obesity crisis. New Yorkers are now being exposed to several other
healthy programs that may have positive long term health implications.
One of the most exciting programs recently initiated was "Green
Carts." This will excite anyone who is hungry and on a budget
and wants a quick, healthy and cheap snack. If you've ever been
to The Big Apple you've seen food carts selling the entire gamut
of unhealthy edibles from sausages to donuts and family sized
pretzels. In the morning, commuters snack on 500 calorie bagels
topped with cream cheese and coffee or Danishes made with butter.
Since these convenient food carts are seemingly everywhere, city
officials came up with an idea to still give convenience but with
a side of health.
For now on, anyone who applies for a food vendor cart license
in many low income areas must serve fruit, not fat-laden snacks.
The goal of the program is to have 1000 new carts in place in
a year. A lofty and healthy goal that will be sure to impact both
health and the wallet. This program was adopted on the heels of
recent research which showed that people living in low income
areas had less access to fruit and vegetables and that there are
three times more supermarkets selling fresh produce in higher
income vs. lower income neighborhoods.
Another program New York has put in place is the Health Bucks
program. Those living in lower income areas are receiving coupons
that can only be redeemed for fresh produce. This is sure to have
an impact on health in light of research that showed giving kids
vegetables 10-15 times was effective in adopting healthier diets
filled with these foods. This fact alone is enough to make you
realize that picky eaters can't be called picky anymore. Is just
giving coupons and showcasing fruits and vegetables enough to
have an impact? It may well be. Since nutrition is the cornerstone
of prevention, increasing fruit and vegetable intake is the door
on the corner. Kudos to New York City.
Shari Portnoy, MPH, RD, LD/N is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian.
She holds degrees in both Nutrition and Public Health and has
completed the U.S. Food Laws course at the Michigan State University
Institute of Food Laws. She has been a featured speaker at the
American Culinary Federation National Convention and a board member
of the American Dietetic Association.
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