Newsletter Update | April 2023

NYC Mayor Goes After Meat and Dairy New York City's vegan mayor, Eric Adams, is attempting to limit the amount of meat people can eat in an effort to combat climate change. This month, he unveiled a proposal that aims to reduce food-based emissions by the city's agencies by 33% over the next seven years. Specifically, his plan will reduce meat and dairy consumption in schools, public hospitals, prisons and other public facilities by reducing the purchasing of these items by the city. Adams claims that meat and dairy products are the primary culprits for 20% of the city's greenhouse gas emissions due to food production and consumption. This proposal ignores the fact that meat is a vital source of nutrients that are essential for maintaining good health. By limiting access to meat, the proposal is likely to compromise the health and well-being of the people in New York City, especially children who need these nutrients to grow and develop properly. As you may recall, last year New York city schools took Adams’ obsession with meat reduction to an extreme with the creation of "Vegan Fridays” in addition to the "Meatless Mondays," introduced under the previous mayor. The notion that decreasing meat consumption can help the planet is a potent incentive, but it is ethically questionable to endanger health in the process, particularly when there are many other means of decreasing carbon emissions. If you’re located in New York City and attempting to fight back against this proposal, please respond directly to this email and let us know. New Study: The Role of Meat in the Human Diet Here’s some reading for Mayor Adams that we’re excited to share with you: a new study on the crucial role that meat plays in human nutrition. The paper explains how human evolution originally relied on substantial meat intake and that reducing its consumption without considering the nutritional implications is likely to adversely affect global health. As advocates for optimal nutrition, we know that meat is a vital source of high-quality protein and many essential nutrients not easily obtained from meat-free diets. The study explains that disconnecting from this evolutionary dietary pattern is contributing to the burden of chronic diseases and nutrient deficiencies prevalent in modern times. The study warns that efforts to reduce global meat intake beyond a “critical” threshold may hinder progress towards reducing undernutrition and stifle economic development. We encourage you to share this study and use it as a resource when advocating for the health benefits of meat. Join the 'Cut the Sugar' Campaign for Healthier School Meals A quick reminder asking you to join our campaign to cut sugar in school meals. Childhood obesity and pre-diabetes rates have reached epidemic levels. Despite this crisis, there is currently no cap on sugar in school meals. You can help by spreading the word on social media and by submitting a comment to the USDA by May 10th. It's time to take a stand and demand healthier school meals for our children.Please share our campaign with your friends and family, and encourage them to take action! Petition to FDA for Voluntary Reduction of Added Sugar in Industry This week, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) together with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene sent a “citizens petition” to FDA asking the agency to set voluntary reduction targets for added sugar in food products–down to 10% of daily calories to align with the Dietary Guidelines–in 10 years time (partial reductions would be targeted in the interim). We support reducing added sugars but have to ask: why wait a decade? And 10% of calories as sugar is already too high (the last Dietary Guidelines expert committee recommended lowering it to 6%). CSPI has also taken the position that it’s fine to wait 4 years before starting to reduce sugar in schools. As our nation’s foremost (and most well-funded) group advocating for better food in America, we think CSPI should instead use its close relationships with government agencies to push for a massive public relations campaign telling Americans now that sugar is bad for health. Full stop. New Study Makes the Case for a Low-Carbohydrate Dietary Pattern A new study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition demonstrates the viability and affordability of a lower-carbohydrate diet option in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Here’s the proposed low-carbohydrate pattern, compared to the existing USDA recommendations: A low-carbohydrate option is needed in the Dietary Guidelines for the vast majority of Americans in poor metabolic health. To support this claim, the authors cite numerous studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of carbohydrate restriction for weight loss, reversing type 2 diabetes, and improving overall metabolic health. This study adds to an earlier paper, Alternative Dietary Patterns for Americans: Low-Carbohydrate Diets, which pioneered this argument. We plan to share both with lawmakers and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Next Dietary Guidelines Meeting The second meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is scheduled for May 10th. If interested, you can sign up to attend virtually, here. Don't Miss the Public Health Collaboration's 2023 Conference in Sheffield, UK Join the Public Health Collaboration's biggest conference yet on May 19-20, 2023, at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. This event features an impressive lineup of international speakers, including Dr. Ben Bikman on insulin resistance, Dr. Georgia Ede on mental health, and Dr. Zsofia Clemens on cancer. Other notable speakers include Dr. David Unwin and Professor Roy Taylor on Type 2 Diabetes, Dr. Jen Unwin on Food Addiction, and Patrick Holford on Alzheimer's. Tickets are still available at PHCUK.org/conference. Donate to the Nutrition Coalition The Nutrition Coalition is a 501(c)(3), and its EIN is 81-4498321. The Nutrition Coalition is a nonprofit, and we get the bulk of our funding from individuals like you. Hence, these requests for donations. The Nutrition Coalition The Nutrition Coalition 459 Columbus Ave. #710 New York, NY 10024 You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a contribution to us. Unsubscribe