In a city with many people like New York City, public health is an important matter that widely affects both the present and future generations of citizens. Given the country’s current stance on healthcare, New York City faces many issues of public health that unfortunately cannot be solved easily with policy change or federal government intervention. One of these public health problems is the presence of food deserts, or areas in the city with little to no access to affordable, healthy produce for miles. Science direct suggests that obesity is most common in New York City’s poor, low-income neighborhoods. According to the site “21% to 30% among adults living in East and Central Harlem and North and Central Brooklyn; some of New York City’s lowest income neighborhoods” (Sci_Direct). According to this information, these specific neighborhoods with the largest percentages of obesity have the lowest access to health produce and groceries in the city, and have the most sizeable concentration of fast-food restaurants than more wealthy neighborhoods. This is a problem because the obesity that occurs from food deserts are mainly contributing to the mal-nourishment of New York’s poor population, who are the citizens with the worst healthcare options.
A solution to this problem would be to potentially encourage citizens in these communities to eat locally grown produce. This would require the help of local New York farmers to sell their foods in affordable farmer’s markets or farm shares. With many available farmers markets in low-income neighborhoods, people forced to live in food deserts will be granted access to cheap but natural fruits, vegetables and meats they normally would not be able to find in local delis or fast-food restaurants in these areas.
A similar health related issue affecting New York City’s poorer areas is childhood obesity. According to the New York Times article “Obesity & School Lunches” school lunches are a major factor in childhood obesity for New York’s inner city children. The Times states “most school lunches rely heavily on high-energy, low-nutrient-value food, because its cheaper” (NYTimes). Because of this many children who attend public schools are not provided with balanced diets and therefore are more likely to become overweight. Though the department of education and the health department attempt to impart regulations on the number of vegetables and fruits that is offered to students, many schools either do not meet the minimum or substitute other foods for proper vegetables. For example, one school makes potato-based foods fulfill all the vegetable requirements in school (NYTimes). This is unhealthy and sets a potentially dangerous example of what a proper diet is to children, who then continue to eat badly as adults.
The last problem in public health that is common in New York City is the recent increases in HIV and other STDs in certain neighborhoods. According to a CBS report, approximately “19 ZIP codes with high rates of poverty in the South Bronx, north-central Brooklyn and northern Manhattan saw top-quintile rates of HIV/AIDS, chlamydia and gonorrhea” (_CBS). The report states as well that the highest rates of STDs were found in “the Bronx, where rates of hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS all ranked in the top 20 percent of all New York City ZIP codes” (CBS-). Therefore, here we see again that public health problems seem to be most widely seen in low-income neighborhoods. Without proper access to contraception, education in schools about STD and HIV, and with an inadequate number of health clinics in these places, citizens in these locations are prone to spread STDs and HIV in New York.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829210001905
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/health/research/08childhood.html
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/10/study-shows-soaring-std-rates-in-many-areas-of-new-york-city/
I like your idea on encouraging citizens to eat locally grown products. I also believe this idea is important, but I am not sure if making locally grown food more accessible will necessarily mean more people will buy the products. Therefore, it is also important to advertise the importance of eating natural food and educate people on its benefits. If people are aware of the significance of naturally grown products, it will definitely encourage more people to buy those products. Also, this is a good idea because farmers can benefit from selling their products as well.
In regards to the problem of obesity, I feel that this could also be solved with more education and awareness. Not many people are aware of the lack of nutrients in school food so by increasing awareness, there would be more promotion for change.
In addition, I am surprised to hear that there is an increase in people with HIV and STDs. I thought that with better technology and advertisement for contraception, people would be keener to the problems of sexually transmitted diseases. So your idea on promoting more education regarding this matter will be helpful in solving this issue.
Your idea of locally grown products is a positive and beneficial solution to counter both the obesity rates and the food desert situations in America. One of our readings did incorporate a part into this, mainly focusing on subsidizing healthy foods and unsubsidizing the processed food. Processed food gets some sort of a government break because of its supposed cheapness to produce, and cheapness in regards for the public to purchase and eat. However, these processed foods are what are contributing to the health problems like obesity and food deserts. Your idea to get farmers more involved in markets for these food deserts is a great one. Not only will the public have access to cheap, fresh produce and healthy food, but the farmers will be able to corner a market they may have previously never been known to them. It seems to be a great situation both benefiting the supplier and the supplied. Also, it would help to introduce this sort of healthy food into school lunches, as the lunch program in America is nothing short of abysmal. In order to bring the most change, starting with the children seems like the most promising venture.