NYC Health Department Wants to Cut Added Sugars

The health fight in New York City started in the ear of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. 

Health professionals applauded the mayor's direct approach to help make his constituency healthier, while others, including many brands and trade groups, fought the initiative. They spent tens of millions of dollars to convince people that it was a bad idea to give up the "freedom" to chose the foods you want to eat, let alone turn the choice over to the government. 

The New York Post reports that the NYC health department has once again banded with nearly 100 other health departments to call on major companies to cut added sugar in food and drink products by 20% by 2025. Which, in our opinion, is a great idea. Look around; we have not been able to reverse our growing waistlines with all the information and the fad diets. The bottom line is that we need some help.

The move by the NYC health department is part of the National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative, which successfully convinced about 30 companies to cut sodium content in foods back in 2009. Americans now consume 17 teaspoons of sugar per day, which is 5 more teaspoons than health officials recommend.

As supermarkets are becoming more than just real estate agents and buyers are curating foods for their customers, we urge them to join in and put pressure on the brands they sell, including their own store brands and do the same. After all, a healthier shopper is one that will most likely enjoy a longer life and be able to spend more dollars at your store over a longer period of time.