Prevention Matters

New York City public schools cut 4.6 billion calories and 422 million grams of fat a year from students’ diets by eliminating whole milk, a switch that districts are adopting in the U.S. fight against obesity. Whole milk was cut out in 2006, and fat-free chocolate milk replaced low-fat chocolate milk, according to a study that’s the first to measure how banning whole milk affects school nutrition. Students didn’t drink less of the healthier options, and average milk consumption increased 1.3 percent from 2004 to 2009, researchers said in the report published today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New Yorkers’ efforts to curb salt use and the widespread presence of bacteria linked to feces at soda fountains were named the Best and Worst Prevention Ideas of the week.

The “Best/Worst” awards are given by “Prevention Matters,” the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Nominees are suggested by Partnership staff and the general public, and voted on by the staff. For more information about Partnership for Prevention, go to www.prevent.org .


BEST


NYC Seeks National Effort to Curb Salt Use

New York City officials plan to unveil a broad new health initiative aimed at encouraging food manufacturers and restaurant chains across the country to curtail the amount of salt in their products. The plan, for which the city claims support from health agencies in other cities and states, sets a goal of reducing the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant food by 25 percent over the next five years. Public health experts say that would reduce the incidence of high blood pressure and should help prevent some of the strokes and heart attacks associated with that condition. The plan is voluntary for food companies and involves no legislation. It allows companies to cut salt gradually over five years so the change is not so noticeable to consumers.


WORST

Bacteria Linked to Feces Found on Soda Fountains

A team of microbiologists from Hollins University found that 48% of the sodas they tested from fast food soda fountains had coliform bacteria. Coliform is typically fecal in origin. On top of that, the study found that most of the bacteria were resistant to antibiotics. The team tested 90 beverages from 30 fountains, and published their findings in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

The New York City Department of Health and Hygiene raised a lot of eyebrows last summer with a subway advertisement that showed a soda bottle pouring globs of human fat into a drinking glass. The intent was to  shock New Yorkers into choosing low calorie beverages over soda and sweetened juices.

New York City's City Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal to encourage the establishment of new supermarkets in areas where fresh produce is scarce and where poverty, obesity and diabetes run high. As described by the New York Times' Diane Cardwell, the proposal would offer zoning and tax incentives to spur the development of full-service grocery stores that devote a certain amount of space to fresh produce, meats, dairy and other perishables.

Any school-age child in New York City can get a free swine flu vaccination under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to contain the deadly virus this fall and winter.

Bloomberg and other city officials were set to announce the multi-pronged strategy later Tuesday to fight a second, more serious wave of the virus that sickened hundreds of thousands, many in schools.

Other elements of the city's plan include tracking influenza at emergency rooms and posting that and other data on a new flu Web site. The city will also produce a daily report on public school absenteeism and schools reporting five or more cases of flu-like illness.

President Obama has named Dr. Thomas Frieden, currently commissioner of the New York City Health Department, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frieden, who will start his new job in June, has run one of the nation's largest public health agencies, in New York, since January 2002. Frieden served at the CDC from 1990 to 2002, at one point investigating issues such as a spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

In New York City, Frieden oversaw the implementation of smoke-free laws and rules requiring national restaurant chains to post calorie information on their menu boards. He co-authored an April 30 "Perspective" piece in the New England Journal of Medicine that reviewed the experience of places that have enacted soda taxes. The study showed that every 10% increase in soft drink prices results in a 7.8% drop in consumption. The White House credited Friedman with leading efforts to reduce smoking, increase cancer screening and combat AIDS.

Dr. Rich Besser, who has served as acting CDC director, will stay to run the Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response, which he has overseen for four years. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the president both praised Besser for his handling of the H1N1 flu epidemic, which during his interim status spread from 20 known cases inside the United States to 4,298 confirmed or probable cases, but only three deaths.

Do consumers notice it when restaurant chains post calorie counts on their menu boards? Data from New York City suggest that they do.

Citing information from the NYC Department of Health, the Boston Globe reports that two-thirds of New Yorkers who dined at chains such as McDonald's or Starbucks said they look at the calorie listings. And about 1 in every 4 diners who paid attention said the information influenced what they ordered.

For a year now, New York City has required restaurant chains to post calorie totals for menu items. Massachusetts is considering doing the same thing.