Health

School Lunch Bill Passed, at Expense of Food Stamps

Lawmakers in Washington reauthorized funding for the Child Nutrition Act earlier this month, a bill that funds and sets the guidelines for a number of child nutrition programs, including how much federal money goes towards school lunches. The legislation, which comes up for renewal every five years, is a $4.5 billion package that included additional funding this year, something health advocates have long been lobbying for. But the extra money comes at a price, as the Senate dipped into $2.2 billion in stimulus funds intended to expand SNAP, the federal food stamps program. The cuts have put anti-hunger advocates in an awkward position, where support for one nutrition program means a major setback for another.

Tips for Enjoying Low-Calorie Holidays

It’s December, the season of holiday parties, endless office cookie trays and general excess. People tend to eat and drink more between Thanksgiving and their New Year’s resolutions, and the overindulgences can have negative health consequences. “We see so many people who have problems maintaining their health and weight at this time of year,” said Dr. Ernest Patti, a senior Emergency Room physician at St. Barnabas Hospital, who says many patients, especially diabetics, find themselves seeking medical treatment after months of holiday bingeing. “They eat and drink too much and, at the very least, feel sluggish, gain a few pounds and may not feel like themselves,” Patti said. “No one says you can’t party around the holidays, but moderation is the key.”

Op-ed: Should Parks and Beaches Be Smoke-Free?

As a child I always enjoyed going to our Bronx beaches and parks with my family. While affluent children enjoyed collecting seashells by the seashore, I remember fondly picking up cigarette butts so we could spell out our names with them. Little did we know of the harms of secondhand smoke and the impact discarded cigarette filters would have on our environment. The facts are indisputable and alarming. Smoking kills more New Yorkers each year than AIDS, drugs, homicide and suicide combined, and the Bronx has one of the highest rates of tobacco use in the city. Secondhand smoke is a known Class A carcinogen. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to more frequent asthma attacks in asthmatic children. Cigarette butts are toxic, slow to decompose, costly to manage and growing in volume; 75 percent of the litter found on NYC beaches is cigarette butts, and it takes over a year and a half for a cigarette filter to decompose.

Teen Fitness Program Wins $20,000 Grant to Expand

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, about a dozen teenagers darted back and forth across the gymnasium at PS 8, their sneakers squeaking on the polished floors. Running drills were followed by several minutes of jumping jacks, then a game of basketball. Despite what looked like rigorous exercise, the kids were joking and smiling. The teens are part of “B’N Fit,” a year-round intensive fitness program run by Montefiore Medical Center and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that aims to help adolescents lose weight and embrace a healthy lifestyle. This month, the program scored $20,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation to expand its service — part of a $300,000 pot of funds that the beverage company gave out to organizations this year in the form of “Healthy Active Living” grants.

The High Cost of Undiagnosed Diabetes

When most people find out they have diabetes, it’s in their doctor’s office, following a routine physical exam that reveals their blood sugar is too high. But some people get the news in a more dire way — when they end up in the emergency room. The Bronx has the highest rate of diabetes in the city, with 12 percent of people here diagnosed with the disease. Many more probably have it, but just don’t recognize the symptoms; the city’s health department estimates that some 200,000 New Yorkers are diabetic, but don’t know it.

Walk Opens Diabetes Month

In recognition of American Diabetes Month, the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center sponsored a two-mile walk at Williamsbridge Oval Park on Nov. 3. Dr. Steven M. Safyer, the hospital’s president and CEO, and Rita Louard, director of the diabetes center kicked off the walk by stressing the importance of raising awareness of the disease in the Bronx, which has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country.