Health
“One of the least-known but most important rituals in New York takes place every night in the South Bronx at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. There, in striking abundance, delicacies from around the state, country, and the world are bought and sold—cabbage from New York, oranges from California, blueberries from Chile, bell peppers from the Netherlands, beef from Australia, and fish from Nova Scotia.” –– Opening description in the ‘Critical Networks’ Chapter of the NYC Special Initiative on Rebuilding and Resiliency report.
Food security and public health are at the heart of the issue of climate change. Johanna Goetzel follows the subject with a recent talk held at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Climate change impacts the food system, globally and locally. Tuesday morning, at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, a panel of academics and business leaders explored the impacts of food accessibility and delivery in NYC in a far reaching session called Climate Change, Food and Health: From Analysis to Action to Protect Our Futures.
Moderated by Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health, CUNY School of Public Health & Hunter College, and Faculty Director, NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College, the distinguished panelists included Nevin Cohen, Asst. Professor, Environmental Studies, The New School; Mia MacDonald, Executive Director, Brighter Green; Mark Izeman, Director, New York Urban Program and Senior Attorney, Urban Program, National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
Mia MacDonald began by speaking about the ecological and public health repercussions of the “global spread of US-style consumption.” One solution she offered was ‘cool foods,’ those that are less energy intensive to grow and transport.
Mark Izeman spoke about the dangers of sea level rise on the Hunts Point food distribution hub. As the largest food distribution center in the world, the increasing frequency and intensity of climate change events like Hurricane Sandy will have significant impacts on the population’s well being. Addressing these concerns and other resilience efforts, the Hunts Point Lifeline project proposal offers an avenue for sustainable future developments.
Panelists also discussed transportation strategy for the 5–7 million tonnes of food that enter NYC, 95% over the George Washington Bridge. Nevin Cohen emphasized the importance of interdepartmental coordination (transportation, sanitation, health) to address the entire ecosystem of food.
Since the benchmark recycling law of 1989, making New York the first state to enact a policy, only minimal progress has been made in state-wide composting programs. This provides an opportunity to elevate Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Food Print” proposals to reduce waste at multiple points in the food system. Local efforts can be made in supporting farmers markets, the majority of which accept EBT/food stamps.
Attendance at the talk was high and the discussion was robust, offering numerous solutions for greater involvement. One message that resonated was the need to update methods of advocacy. All were invited to participate in the Peoples Climate March September 21. The next discussion in the Food Policy for Breakfast series will be held October 14, about food provided in New York universities and colleges. The ripple effects of local conservation efforts and personal commitments to eating better can have global impacts on the resources threatened by climate change.
Born out of exasperation at the slow pace of international progress on climate change, the French-based group CliMates provides participation and training to young people who want to help push forward for solutions.
This Friday, August 29th concluded the Second CliMates International Summit, hosted at Columbia University. Organized by volunteers and peer leaders, this gathering of students and young professionals from over 15 nations focused on building skills and training attendees to discuss the impacts of climate change in various sectors. Their mission is to inspire and empower youth all around the world to find answers together.
Co-founder Margot Le Guen shared how the network has evolved since 2011 from a “group of peers at Science Po, in France, where we were reaching out to our friends to join to what is now a group of over 150 actively involved.”
Last year, CliMates held a Latin American-focused gathering in Bogota, Columbia. This year’s events took the form of a ‘summer school’ in New York City, where participants attended seminars and engaged in discussions on everything from entrepreneurship for social innovation, to crafting performance art, to the impacts of heat on health. A special discussion lead by Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, emphasized the need to think about what motivates potential partners to engage. The team also met with French climate diplomat Adrien Pinelli, who spoke about the role of youth engagement in the upcoming COP 21 conference held in Paris in 2015.
I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel about climate and health with Kim Knowlton, Senior Scientist, Health & Environment Program and Co-Deputy Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Dr. Knowlton and I presented on how rising temperatures will impact poorest populationsmost dramatically and explored economic and social solutions for prevention.
The overall tone of the summit was one of excitement and collaboration. Attendees shared ideas for research collaboration, expanding partnerships and planning for next year, when the summit will be held in France, gearing up for the world’s critical test: the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. The announced aims of the 2015 UN conference are nothing less than a binding, worldwide agreement to limit greenhouse gases.
In the next month, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will host a prelude to the 2015 conference, at the United Nations in New York City on September 23rd. This preliminary meeting of world leaders is the focus of the People’s Climate March, scheduled for September 21st, which is drawing an increasing amount of media and institutional attention.
For more information on CliMates and their social media presence, follow them on Twitter and see their YouTube channel. Below, watch Austin Morton of the New Climate Economy project in his video for the CliMates summit.
By Johanna Goetzel and Jody Dean
It would come as no surprise to most that what we eat has impacts on the plant and population health, however what we don’t eat also matters. When we discard food we lose valuable energy in the form of calories, waste the energy that went into production and transport and increase food costs through lost value. In continued support for last week’s World Environment Day, we can link our food and consumer markets to improve health.
In the US we discard approximately 40% of the total food produced. This is equivalent to 20 lbs of food each month, or $2,275 a year of unconsumed food for a family of four. Additionally, food waste now accounts for more than 25% of total freshwater consumption and about 4% of total US oil consumption. The climate impacts of food waste were acknowledged by New York City Mayor de Blasio, who signed a resolution to reduce the City’s climate “foodprint.”
In parallel with the trends in waste, 46.2 million people are currently living in poverty, which is the leading cause of hunger. This makes wasted food an even greater problem, as discarded food could have been used to meet food demand. Addressing hunger in the United States can therefore become part of larger program to reduce wasted food, energy consumption and dollars.
This connection between waste and hunger creates opportunities to tackle both issues from an entrepreneurial standpoint. One such Boston based initiative, Spoiler Alert, attempts to leverage this connection through a mobile software platform that provides real-time information on supply and demand for excess, expiring and spoiled food. This venture not only has the ability to reduce waste and address food insecurity, but also to create new revenue streams by bringing together all stakeholders in the food-supply chain.
Multinational corporations such as Walmart have also found creative ways to turn waste into value. In line with their zero waste program, Walmart has expanded their waste reduction initiatives to include not just recycling and food donations, but also a waste diversion program that transforms used cooking oil into biofuel.
These innovative cross-sector collaborations can stimulate markets to favor healthier lifestyles, improve the environment and foster sustainable practices, effectively creating a “win-win”approach to health promotion.
May 5-11 is this year’s national Screen-Free Week, encouraging everyone to turn off digital entertainment and turn on life. At work, trends of increased sedentary behavior have proven negative health impacts but a screen-free philosophy can encourage regular breaks, improving your concentration and your health.
Since 1970, Americans work an additional 200 hours per year, translating to more hours in chairs and in front of screens. Both of these ‘risk factors’ contribute to the growing weight of the nation.
Dr. Wilmot, a research fellow at the University of Leicester, found that people with the highest sedentary behavior had a 112 per cent increase in their relative risk of developing diabetes; a 147 per cent increase in their risk for cardiovascular disease; and a 49 percent greater risk of dying prematurely — even if they regularly exercised.
According to research by the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) employers incur large costs from their obese employees, between USD $644- 2,500, per person per year. Companies are now reevaluating metrics for financial success and worker productivity, investing in their office environments to promote health.
A fun way to take a break, for physical and mental well-being can be to follow the lead of Dr. Yancey, professor of health services at UCLA who advocates for group exercise breaks and a simple workout that can be done at work. Studies show that these can reduce sick leave and workers’ compensation claims. As an employer, investing in well-being leads to productivity increases, with absenteeism costs falling by about $2.37 for every dollar spent.
Power down to power up and take a moment to move away from screens this week.
coauthored with Elle Alexander–
To wrap up Nutrition Awareness Month, here is the second half of this blog post, answering questions 6-10:
- Which sweetener is the best for human health and has minimal environmental impact?
- How can eating behaviors change to support health?
- How have prepared and packaged foods changed in the last decade to promote nutrition?
- Is yogurt a health food?
- How useful are currently serving size recommendation?
- Should energy drinks be marketed to kids?
- Where in the world does our food come from?
- What lessons can we learn from abroad?
- The other, other white meat?
- How have food companies shifted their products to promote healthier options?
6. Should energy drinks be marketed to kids?
The WHO has warned that marketing fast food to kids has been “disastrously effective,” and has ultimately directly contributed to the global obesity epidemic. The American Academy of Pediatric recommends that children and teenagers never consume energy drinks, citing high levels of sugar and caffeine as unhealthy for children while providing no nutritional benefits. In spite of that, Yale University Rudd Center reports that 31% of American youth (age 12-17) consume energy drinks, many of which have on average more sugar than soda and are not required to disclose information on caffeine content.
7. Where in the world does our food come from?
Tracing our food items from production to consumption helps to understand where things really come from. Sourcemap visually displays the journey of products, with some examples having no less than 16 stopovers from source to shelf.
- 8. What lessons can we learn from abroad?
Brazil has introduced new food based countrywide guidelines, now open for comment, to promote health. The rules they propose can be applied to the US and other countries:
- Make foods and freshly prepared dishes and meals the basis of your diet.
- Be sure oils, fats, sugar and salt are used in moderation in culinary preparations.
- Limit the intake of ready-to-consumer products and avoid those that are ultra-processed.
9. The other, other white meat?
Fish are a tremendous source of protein and consumption is growing; to meet the demand in the US means importing 91% of the aquaculture. NOAA address questions about healthy eating and sustainability best practices. Concerns about health, safety and global ecology all come to play when eating fish and equally important is purchasing seafood from reliable sources. Greenpeace ranks retailers based on environmental practices.
10. How have food companies shifted their products to promote healthier options?
Food companies are shifting their portfolios to address the regulatory pressure and consumer interest in healthier items. Smaller portion sizes of classic items can be seen in stores and stealth strategies include product reformulation to reduce sodium or replace refined flour with whole grains, or developing ingredients to increase satiety and flavor without the calories (read more about these trends here). Interestingly, the Hudson Institute found that food and beverage companies with more sales of healthier products were more financially successful than companies with lower sales of healthier items.
When addressing these questions it is essential to consult credible sources, investigate credentials of authors, and recognize source bias.
A few of our current favorite places for nutrition updates are below – or just check back here for future posts on the subject!
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/departments/center-human-nutrition/index.htm
coauthored with Elle Alexander–
March kicks off national nutrition awareness month, a great opportunity to feed our curiosity. With that in mind, we curated some of the top 10 questions around nutrition, and will share five now and five at the end of the month.
- Which sweetener is the best for human health and has minimal environmental impact?
- How can eating behaviors change to support health?
- How have prepared and packaged foods changed in the last decade to promote nutrition?
- Is yogurt a health food?
- How useful are currently serving size recommendation?
- Should energy drinks be marketed to kids?
- Where in the world does our food come from?
- What lessons can we learn from abroad?
- The other, other white meat?
- How have food companies shifted their products to promote healthier options?
1. Which sweetener is the best for human health and has minimal environmental impact?
There has been much discussion on high fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar from health and environmental perspectives. Marion Nestle sheds some light on the debate:
“Sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contain the same sugars—glucose and fructose—and do much the same things in the body. I think everyone would be better off eating a lot less of either.”
2. How can eating behaviors change to support health?
When presented with numerous food choices, people tend to pile plates high with calories. Choosing smaller plates helps to reduce calorie intake since people tend to stop eating based on visual cues rather than internal satiety cues.
See Brian Wansink’s “Bottomless Soup Bowl” Experiment:
3. How have prepared and packaged foods changed in the last decade to promote nutrition?
In November of 2013, the FDA banned trans-fat, a decision that many – including the Scientific American – considered long overdue and with an impact of saving lives at a minimal cost to industry. Decisions to eat healthier are easier for consumers when information about health and a variety of healthy options are available.
Further work is also needed to reduce sodium intake in the US population, as only 5% of intake is added during cooking and 6% at the table; 75% is from packaged foods. Companies must take the lead to reduce sodium in packaged foods for consumers while ensuring food safety and taste.
4. Is yogurt a health food?
For hundreds of years humans have consumed yogurt across cultures. The protein rich and bacteria filled product has experienced a renaissance of sorts since the 1900s and with the mass popularization of “Greek” yogurts. A New Yorker article in November documented the growth of Chobani; the recipe is modified for consumer enjoyment, including added sweeteners in many products. The benefits of yogurt include probiotics, calcium and a hearty dose of non-animal based protein.
5. How useful are currently serving size recommendation?
According to the CDC, portion sizes have increased, impacting health. There are new devices on the market to help guide consumers toward eating ‘recommended’ quantities, including the Silo which pours 1 cup, 1/2 cup or 1 tsp. There is also a recent proposal to the FDA to make the Nutrition Facts label easier for consumers to understand, highlighting calories, recalibrating serving sizes and including added sugars:
Stay tuned for the next installment at the end of the month. Your thoughts are welcome!
– See more at: http://thevitalityinstitute.org/top-questions-in-nutrition/#sthash.epBr4Uwd.dpuf
Change is hard– especially behavior change in a context not designed to support it. New Year’s resolutions, like those mentioned by Taubes in his New York Times Sunday Review piece, are usually forgotten. It isn’t just that they are ambitious. The problem is that we live in an environment where healthy choices are challenged by increasingly cheap, ubiquitous and tasty treats.
For example, twenty years ago, a typical cheeseburger contained 333 calories, compared to 590 today. According to a new FDA report pizza also accounts for 4% of all calories consumed by American adults daily. Additionally, our lifestyles are more sedentary–average Americans spend nearly nine hours in front of screens.
Source: CDC, “Making Health Easier” (click image to enlarge)
Together, our diet and lack of physical activity put us at risk for lifestyle-related diseases, like hypertension, type-2 diabetes and obesity. Addressing these requires efforts from multiple sectors as health is affected by everything from policies set by governments, to products developed and marketed by companies, and corporate policies impacting employee health. The argument of ‘willpower’ falls away when powerful outside forces act in concert.
We are more likely to consume more calories when we eat outside the home. According to the USDA in 2012, more than 40% of meals in America are eaten away from home and 82% of adults eat out at least once a week. Fundamentally changing the foods offered at restaurants can improve the food landscape and promote health. Efforts led by the Culinary Institute of America in partnership with Harvard’s School of Public Health are underway to develop Menus of Change. Consumers want more vegetable options, lean meats, and seafood, and Menus of Change is updating menus to give it to them.
A complementary initiative is Grow Your Family Strong, whose mission is to encourage mindful cooking at home by providing nutritious recipes, shopping lists and most importantly, support from other participants in building healthy meals for their families. Founder Monique Nadeau says “We need practical ideas that are simple to execute, automate and delegate; are value for money, nutritious and include meals our families will enjoy. I’m looking for something that makes my life easier and my family healthier.”
If making a change is hard, maintaining it is even more challenging. New technology, like Stickk can help individuals make ‘commitment contracts’ to a healthier lifestyle. Participants use the WebApp to publicize their commitments to quit smoking, eat healthier and exercise more frequently and then receive support from an online community. Building a community through health technology is an effective way to achieve personal goals.
Finally, addressing short-termism – where consumers tend to discount the future impacts of their decisions for immediate comfort or pleasure – can be built into polices and private sector commitment to health. For example, there is an opportunity to make healthier foods more affordable and accessible at point of sale. A few pilot programs, including Healthy Food Here, are making it easier (and cost effective) for retailers to provide fresh produce. Resolving to eat well and a landscape of support go together like (low-fat) milk and (wholegrain) cookies.
In President Obama’s State of the Union address earlier this week, he commended the First Lady’s efforts to get Americans, and particularly children, moving. The Let’s Move campaign combines getting active with healthy eating and is a great example of partnerships between the US government, NGOs, and industry. Additional collaborations are needed to promote healthy eating in federally supported programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Farm Bill was omitted from Tuesday night’s address despite being a key to the future of agriculture, food and health in America.
Graph (click to enlarge) created by Brad Plumer, The Washington Post, January 28, 2014.
The majority of spending of the Farm Bill – nearly 80%, or $756 billion – is allocated to support nutrition and food security for low income Americans (see graph), although the funding does not explicitly support healthy eating or nutrition for recipients. Improving the SNAP programs is an occasion for the US government to codify the link between agriculture production and healthy food consumption.
Importantly, shifts in diets could reduce the burden of disease and chronic disability which now account for nearly half of the US health burden. Improving availability of fresh fruits and vegetables can help replace high-calorie, highly processed foods with less energy intensive production. It is also important to understand the relationship – or lack thereof – between subsidies and crop insurance support and retail costs of the healthiest foods
Land use for farming is not currently driven by health indicators. Harvard School of Public Health calculates that it required about 40 acres of farmland to produce 1,000 kilograms (approx. 2,200 pounds) of ground beef while only 3/4 of an acre to produce the same quantity of potatoes and even less — 1/16 of an acre to grow 1,000 kilograms of carrots. The Farm Bill should support the production of more sustainable protein sources over energy intensive meat production. Further, by subsidizing fruits and vegetables instead of grain, corn and soy used predominantly for animal feed, the Farm Bill can be an effective lever to reduce the quantity of highly processed foods going to market and concurrently reduce the ecological footprint of the food system.
There is a tremendous opportunity to improve SNAP to help guide healthier food decisions. Additionally, bolstering Michelle Obama’s efforts for healthier children, SNAP-Ed can complement the national Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program helping children form healthy habits early in life. The road ahead to reforming SNAP and revising the Farm Bill may by rocky, but shifts to promote health will benefit all and result from businesses, government, and local organizations supporting healthy and cost effective food choices promoting health. Let’s get moving on this together.
