The Bronx's Weight Problem

http://www.wnyc.org/story/food-paradox

Amanda Aronczyk

WNYC

5 June 2014

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

The Bronx is working to solve obesity by turning to healthy eating in a society where fast food is cheaper and of greater quantity. It turns out that increasing access to fruits and vegetables, which the Bronx has done, makes no difference in whether or not people actually eat it - but one resident may have the answer.

At a Big Church, a Small Group Health Solution

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/at-a-big-church-a-small-group-health-solution

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

10 November 2011

Text / 800-1500 Words

The best way to lose weight is to join a small group. This article looks at the case study of Saddleback Church in southern California that mixed faith and peer support to help congregates lose weight, including the pastor. Surveys found that 72% of participants lost weight as a result of the program.

Conquering Food Deserts With Green Carts

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/conquering-food-deserts-with-green-carts

David Bornstein

The New York Times

18 April 2012

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Programs to get fresh produce carts to areas with no access to healthy food work best when government and determined entrepreneurs team up. Success from this model is evident in New York City, where the city has incentivized the selling of fruits and vegetables by street vendors in areas that are in the most need of the produce.

Denmark Might Be Winning The Global Race To Prevent Food Waste

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/01/436292784/denmark-might-be-winning-the-global-race-to-prevent-food-waste

Sidsel Overgaard

NPR

1 September 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

To decrease the nation's food waste, activists in Denmark showed the people that it was safe to buy and consume items that were very recently expired. From live demonstrations where celebrity chef features expired items in the entrees to reducing prices for out-of-date items, "Danes now throw away 25 percent less food than they did five years ago."

To Fight Obesity, a Carrot, and a Stick

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/to-fight-obesity-a-carrot-and-a-stick

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

16 November 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

Child obesity is decreasing even among poor children. Making healthy food more widely available, as well as using financial incentive programs, has greatly helped in increasing habits of healthy eating.

For Weight Loss, a Recipe of Teamwork and Trust

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/for-weight-loss-a-recipe-of-teamwork-and-trust

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

15 November 2011

Text / 800-1500 Words

While weight loss can be challenging to maintain, different structures are being created to help. Certain support groups, financial incentives, and tough love are proving to be effective.

Fruit, Not Fries: Lunchroom Makeovers Nudge Kids Toward Better Choices

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/03/29/175710393/fruit-not-fries-lunchroom-makeovers-nudge-kids-toward-better-choices

Kevin Charles Redmon

NPR

2 April 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

With child obesity on the rise, public school students have lacked the motivation and access to eat healthy food. Different programs around the country aim to improve student diet in public schools, including Real Eats for Academics and Life in Los Angeles and Cornell’s Smarter Lunchrooms Movement, by emailing nutrition report cards to parents, presenting the healthy food with aesthetic pleasure, and the arrangement of the food for access.

In S. King County, an extraordinary effort to bring better health

http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/in-s-king-county-an-extraordinary-effort-to-bring-better-health/?syndication=rss

Abigail Higgins

The Seattle Times

25 April 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

In S. King County, Wash., the organization Global to Local identified Seattle's ironic status as being a global-health center but having an increasingly unhealthy populace. Global to Local pointed local citizens to a variety of services, using a "connect the dots" approach to treatment.

Time to Revisit Food Deserts

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/time-to-revisit-food-deserts

David Bornstein

The New York Times

25 April 2012

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The 'food desert' term is a hot buzzword that suggests lack of access. Research on obesity and food availability in poor areas suggests that access must be considered, but only alongside additional factors like price, taste and education.

FDA's ‘terrible policy error' blocks simple step to prevent fatal birth defects

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/tweak-to-corn-flour-could-help-prevent-fatal-birth-defects-growing-in-3-wash-counties

JoNel Aleccia

The Seattle Times

11 July 2015

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The life-saving vitamin folic acid is added to flour in the United States, but Hispanics tend to eat little flour. Adding folic acid to corn flour would reduce birth defects in Hispanic women in the U.S.