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USDA’s MyPlate and the Farm Bill

May May Leung, PhD, RD is an assistant professor at the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College. Her research expertise includes the development and evaluation of innovative health communication and community-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

ChooseMyPlate.gov

The new MyPlate food icon, which the federal government released this past June, makes a recommendation for Americans to fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, such messages that promote knowledge and awareness are not the only mechanisms needed for people to carry out such healthy behaviors. A necessary mechanism, yet a pressing obstacle for many Americans, particularly the vulnerable populations, is the limited access to affordable fruits and vegetables. This barrier has come about, mainly due to the imbalanced distribution of federal agricultural subsidies. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 63% of the subsidies support meat and dairy production, while less than 1% supports fruits and vegetables. Other subsidies include, 20% allotted for grains and 15% for sugar, starch, oil and alcohol. As you can see, the subsidies rather contradict the recommendations supported by MyPlate.

So, what can be done? The Farm Bill, which is the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government, provides the support for different agricultural commodities. It is renewed every five years and the next one is scheduled to pass through Congress in 2012. The upcoming Farm Bill needs to be reformed to shift the subsidies to be more aligned with the MyPlate recommendations, which would improve the accessibility and affordability of fruits and vegetables, and making it more likely for the recommendations to be adopted as healthy behaviors. Mark Bittman expressed this sentiment quite nicely in the New York Times, “What subsidies need is…reform that moves them forward. Imagine support designed to encourage a resurgence of small- and medium-size farms producing not corn syrup…but food we can touch, see, buy and eat – like apples and carrots …” I can imagine it, can you? May May Leung, PhD, RD

November 13, 2011

author: Editorial Staff

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May May Leung, PhD, RD is an

HealthCetera

What matters at Penn State

Like many others, I have been following the ongoing media coverage of the Penn State sexual abuse scandal. My response to the news coverage is a mixture of horror and disgust for what those boys endured, and critique-turned-annoyance at the way the networks have handled this.

For the first few days, it was all about Joe Paterno and football. As I write this,a report is airing about “Penn State Nation” — today’s game and how the alumni and students showed up to support the blue and white. A brief mention about the victims before the talk turns back to Joe. They’re missing the point.

It took until about halfway through tonight’s broadcast before there was finally some substantial discussion on this issue — a report on various state laws on mandatory reporting. I don’t think some of these media outlets get it.

It’s not about football. It’s not about a university. What really matters is talking about the horrors of child abuse – sexual and otherwise — educating parents about signs to watch for, how to talk to your children, what to do if you have suspicions, and policy changes that must be put in place to force mandatory reporting to police by any adult — not just teachers, or medical professionals, or coaches. What really matters is making adults understand that keeping quiet is never an option.

Sexual abuse victims face a lifetime of psychological trauma. Their families suffer. Society suffers. Joe Paterno has to live with his decision — apparently he followed the letter of the law, but not his ethical obligation to protect children instead of protecting a football program.

Too many members of the media are busy glorifying the coach, talking about the game, and the fans. How about changing the discussion to what really matters?

November 12, 2011

author: Editorial Staff

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Like many others, I have been following

HealthCetera

CHMP Welcomes Senior Fellow Nancy Cabelus

Nancy Cabelus is an international forensic nurse consultant currently working with Physicians for Human Rights on a program addressing sexual violence in conflict zones in central and east Africa. In addition to a blended, nursing career in practice, education and consulting, Cabelus was also a Connecticut State Trooper for 20 years. Cabelus spent nearly 10 years as a major crimes detective investigating crimes of rape, homicide, and other high profile incidents. After retiring from the Connecticut State Police, Cabelus worked as a consultant for the United States Department of Justice. She was assigned as the senior law enforcement advisor to the Women’s Justice & Empowerment Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya, a US President’s Initiative targeted to combat gender based violence in Africa.

Cabelus is a published author of several articles and book chapters, and is an active member of International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). In 2010 she was the recipient of IAFN’s Virginia A. Lynch Pioneer Award in Forensic Nursing, the highest award bestowed upon a forensic nurse. Cabelus is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

She holds a master’s degree in forensic nursing from Quinnipiac University and a doctor of nursing practice degree from the University of Tennessee, Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN. Her research project was the development of a model of nursing intervention for victims of sex trafficking.

November 10, 2011

author: Editorial Staff

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Nancy Cabelus is an international forensic nurse