The Big Apple Takes on Salt

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-01-13 06:00:00 UTC
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New York City has made a name for itself trying to straighten out the unhealthy eating of its populace.

First the city banned trans fats. Then it required chain restaurants to post calorie information for food items in the same font and font-size as the price.

The next thing in the sights of the New York health department? Salt.

The National Salt Reduction Initiative will make an effort to inspire voluntary reduction of salt in packaged foods and restaurant fare, where the majority of people's sodium intake occurs.

Only 11 percent of the salt in an average American's diet comes from home-cooked meals, according to a press release. Almost 80 percent of it is cooked into food that eaters buy outside the home. (The other 9 percent? Who knows.)

That 80 percent represents waaaaay too much sodium: Most people in the US take in around 3,500 mg of sodium per day, more than twice the recommended 1,500 mg, reports Reuters.

High blood pressure is so common that it's become part of the backdrop of American life. And high blood pressure can be caused by, you guessed it, eating too much sodium.

The heart attacks and strokes to which high blood pressure contributes are the U.S.’s leading causes of preventable death. Across the country, these conditions lead to 800,000 deaths every year. With 23,000 of those occurring in New York City, it's no wonder that salt is in the cross-hairs.

How else can the Big Apple start living up to its healthful name?

Photo: stock.xchng

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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