Source: Politics<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014 Few American politicians have embraced the role of public health ambassador as comfortably as Mike Bloomberg, who banned smoking in bars and restaurants, outlawed trans fats and unsuccessfully pushed to restrict soda size.<\/p>\n
The former New York City mayor was so content in that role, he once performed in a charity show as Mary Poppins to spoof his \u201cnanny\u201d persona.<\/p>\n
Now, New Yorkers have chosen another wellness zealot, following eight years of a mayor who largely avoided the thorny intersection of health mandates and personal choice until confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
Mayor-elect Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, traded jelly doughnuts for kale smoothies when diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes five years ago. Since then, he reversed vision loss and nerve damage, shed 35 pounds and anointed himself a spokesperson for a plant-based lifestyle. As he prepares to take over City Hall, a job that comes with a national bully pulpit, he stands to turn his passion into policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can save more lives with plant-based diet if people would only realize they are enslaved to fats, oil, sugar and things that are killing their body,\u201d Adams said in a short 2018 film<\/a> produced by Forks Over Knives, a company that promotes a whole-foods diet.<\/p>\n In electing Adams \u2014 a fit 61-year-old who once boasted<\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t have a six-pack, I have a case\u201d \u2014 voters have chosen someone who used his public perch as Brooklyn borough president to proselytize a vegan diet. He showed off his intricate smoothie recipe<\/a> and office-based stepper for TV cameras<\/a>, spearheaded a plant-based diet program at a leading city hospital and authored \u201cHealthy At Last\u201d \u2014 part memoir, part cookbook intended to overhaul the diets of its readers. (Even olive oil, dubbed \u201cliquid fat,\u201d didn\u2019t escape Adams\u2019 scorn.)<\/p>\n Adams, a Democrat, brought his devotion to the mayoral campaign trail \u2014 vowing to fund doulas for pregnant women because \u201cthe first classroom is in a mother\u2019s womb,\u201d meditating on stage before televised debates and sharing his Election Night victory stage with a doctor who specializes in past life regression and reiki<\/a>.<\/p>\n Much of the time the incoming mayor, who is Black, focuses on racial disparities in medicine. He likened soul food to \u201cslave food\u201d on a recent podcast<\/a> and pledged to build clinics in low-income neighborhoods<\/a> that lack access to top-tier hospitals. And, reasoning that poverty exacerbates health problems, he wants public hospitals to double as hubs for social services, according to campaign literature.<\/p>\n He also promised to clean up city-funded food: No more processed school lunches, sugary drinks for public hospital patients or junk food for detainees in city jails, he told POLITICO in an interview last year.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should not be leaving jail unhealthy,\u201d he said. \u201cYou should not be in a homeless shelter where I am feeding you on taxpayers\u2019 dime and I am feeding you food like chicken nuggets.\u201d<\/p>\n Adams declined to be interviewed for this story. Asked for further details about his plans to overhaul taxpayer-funded meals, adviser Evan Thies replied: \u201cThe mayor-elect will make it his mission to change the dietary paradigm in these facilities, introducing plant-based meals to improve health outcomes and ensure all agencies are aligned on the goal of creating a healthier, more prosperous city for all residents.\u201d<\/p>\n During a recent podcast<\/a> focused on diet, the incoming mayor said he hopes to grow tomatoes year-round for public schools through vertical farming.<\/p>\n At times, Adams\u2019 dedication morphs into fanaticism: He argued a healthy diet could prevent schizophrenia during a mayoral forum last year and has compared fried food to cocaine<\/a> and heroin<\/a>.<\/p>\n A City Council member who declined to be named attributed Adams\u2019 beliefs to \u201cthe fervor of a convert.\u201d<\/p>\n In his book, Adams points to research concluding meat, eggs and dairy food increase a child\u2019s risk of asthma, while antioxidants in fruits and vegetables limit that danger.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is quite misleading. None of these foods are proven to cause asthma,\u201d said Anna Nowak-W\u0119grzyn, director of the Pediatric Allergy Program at Hassenfeld Children\u2019s Hospital at NYU Langone. \u201cIt\u2019s oversimplifying a complex matter. It\u2019s important for kids, especially from underprivileged populations, to get a healthy diet, but in terms of asthma we can\u2019t say it can prevent or improve asthma.\u201d<\/p>\n Two former officials in Mayor Bill de Blasio\u2019s health department \u2014 both of whom asked for anonymity to speak freely about the incoming mayor \u2014 raised concerns that he does not always back up his claims with scientific research, even as they generally agree with his views on nutrition.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the current climate \u2014 all the mistrust that has existed and reinforced under the Trump administration \u2014 it\u2019s more important to provide more information that\u2019s sound and accurate,\u201d one of the people said. \u201cObviously he can\u2019t be there speaking off the top of his head.\u201d<\/p>\n During a candidate forum focused on mental health last year, he said scientific research demonstrates that consuming healthy food \u201ccan really prevent and treat many of the issues we\u2019re dealing with, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n Shebani Sethi Dalai, founding director of Metabolic Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, said even politicians with good intentions should be conscious about spreading misinformation.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say these diets could treat bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. There isn\u2019t data to support that,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s responsible \u2026 to recommend solely dietary things unless it\u2019s monitored and seeing if it\u2019s working for the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n She also cautioned a vegan diet could result in certain vitamin deficiencies.<\/p>\n In response, Thies pointed to a Harvard Review of Psychiatry study<\/a> that found \u201ca growing body of literature shows the gut microbiome plays a shaping role in a variety of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder.\u201d<\/p>\n In his book, Adams also weighed in on an open question about the role of soy \u2014 a popular meat alternative \u2014 in breast cancer risk, declaring it unequivocally does not contribute to the common disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a myth out there that soy \u2014 a common staple of a plant-based diet \u2014 can increase breast cancer risk. In fact, the opposite is true,\u201d he wrote, citing the Mayo Clinic. \u201cEven women who have breast cancer can benefit from eating more soy.\u201d<\/p>\n As borough president he championed<\/a> \u201cmeatless Mondays\u201d and pushed to eliminate all processed meat in public schools. He also opened a lactation room in Brooklyn Borough Hall and once proclaimed<\/a>, \u201cbreastfeeding is the best feeding for our youngest Brooklynites.\u201d<\/p>\n Health experts believe Adams\u2019 allegiance to an issue they hold dear \u2014 particularly after two terms of a mayor who was at war with his public health agency<\/a> \u2014 will serve the city well.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a compelling personal health story, and has highlighted some important means of moving [forward] with plans \u2014 understanding that social issues are part of health care, bringing more resources into under-resourced neighborhoods, focusing on prevention. These are really important issues,\u201d said Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bloomberg\u2019s health commissioner.<\/p>\n Yet Adams\u2019 public health plans remain vague.<\/p>\n His campaign book mentions improving access to medical care and enrolling more people in health insurance through \u201coutreach programs\u201d \u2014 a tough proposition considering the lack of financial penalty for the uninsured and a dearth of options for undocumented immigrants. To that end, Adams has said he would<\/a> increase funding for a city program that connects residents to primary care.<\/p>\n Thies also said Adams would look to create a more seamless partnership between public and private hospitals to ease the sharing of data, but did not provide further details on that, or the clinics planned for low-income neighborhoods.<\/p>\n A review of his campaign literature, records as borough president and remarks on the trail hint at Adams\u2019 approach to public health.<\/p>\n For starters, he has asked Mitchell Katz to remain as president and CEO of the public hospital system, three people familiar with the situation told POLITICO. They spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal the internal maneuvering. Katz \u2014 who assumed the role in 2018 and has been credited with turning around the beleaguered hospital system’s finances \u2014 became one of de Blasio’s most trusted aides during the pandemic, as the mayor sparred<\/a> with his health commissioner.<\/p>\n A year before launching his mayoral bid, Adams declared he wants every city hospital to open a \u201clifestyle medicine clinic\u201d to encourage plant-based diets, particularly for patients with diabetes. As borough president in 2018, he spearheaded a similar program within the city-run Bellevue Hospital. Some 300 patients have enrolled so far, with another 850 on a waiting list. The hospital reported participants have experienced weight loss and lowered blood sugar and blood pressure, according to a hospital spokesperson.<\/p>\n He also wants to begin a doula initiative<\/a> aimed, in part, at advising expectant mothers on nutrition.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do not ensure that that mother has the right nutrition while she is carrying that baby, you can turn on genetic markers that will impact the quality of that child\u2019s life throughout the entire lifespan,\u201d Adams said at a January mayoral primary forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n He has also expressed interest in revisiting a proposed soda tax, which would require cooperation from state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul. In his last year in office, Bloomberg pressed for a ban on the sale of sugary drinks that exceeded 16 ounces. The beverage industry immediately sued, and a judge ruled such an edict could only be enacted legislatively. A subsequent soda tax bill is stuck in committee in the state Legislature<\/a>.<\/p>\n When he assumes office Jan. 1, Adams will face a city struggling with its worst mass-casualty event since the AIDS epidemic. He has hesitated to say much about his plans around Covid-19, but his convictions about diet and exercise are not matched when it comes to the controversial matter of vaccine mandates.<\/p>\n He has repeatedly said he supports the requirements de Blasio recently instituted, while dodging questions on enforcement.<\/p>\n During the final days of the election, he offered oblique solutions<\/a>, like extended talks with union leaders. Thies said Adams would \u201cenact and enforce mandates according to science, efficacy and the advice of public health professionals\u201d but declined to elaborate. Those professionals urged City Hall to enact a vaccine mandate for municipal workers, and early evidence shows it\u2019s working<\/a>.<\/p>\n In recent weeks \u2014 with more municipal employees getting vaccinated as de Blasio\u2019s threat of lost pay looms as a penalty for those who defy his mandate \u2014 Adams and his closest advisers have expressed some concern about the regulation, according to two people who have spoken with them privately.<\/p>\n \u201cMy sense is he will have a different approach as de Blasio had,\u201d Henry Garrido \u2014 executive director of the city\u2019s largest municipal union, DC37 \u2014 said after a recent talk with Adams on the city\u2019s vaccine mandate. Garrido was one of Adams\u2019 earlier endorsers.<\/p>\n \u201cThose who have legitimate reasons for not taking the vaccine, we understand that,\u201d Adams said on MSNBC last month. \u201cThis is a city and a country where religion is important. But everyone else that is required to take the vaccine, we\u2019re going to be clear and give a great deal of clarity that this is what\u2019s expected of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Policy issues aside, the new mayor has enthused vegans and fitness aficionados alike.<\/p>\n A meatless bodega sandwich<\/a> has been crafted in his honor. Outgoing Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo \u2014 a Republican in line for a potential Adams administration appointment \u2014 said Adams inspired him to keep chasing a desired physique. \u201cI texted Eric a few years ago that \u2018I can run through a brick wall after listening to you talk about health and wellness,\u2019\u201d Oddo said in an interview.<\/p>\n \u201cMayor Adams can be a genuine change agent and can be, in my opinion, a national catalyst for change,\u201d Oddo said.<\/p>\n Garrido recalled Adams sending him a copy of \u201cHealthy at Last\u201d after the union leader lamented his own diet. He said he was touched by the gesture and gave \u201cmeatless Monday\u201d a try, though some of the suggested recipes seemed daunting.<\/p>\n \u201cThey require a lot of time and \u2026 access to a lot of ingredients that aren\u2019t always accessible,\u201d Garrido said. \u201cFor somebody with a very hectic schedule, preparing couscous salads [that are] going to take me 50 minutes when I\u2019m traveling is difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I still think he\u2019s onto something,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n With all eyes on Adams as he assumes the vast responsibility of overseeing the nation\u2019s largest city, one thing is certain: Public health is likely to be at the forefront of his agenda.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Black lives really matter, it\u2019s more than just George Floyd being murdered,\u201d he said on a podcast<\/a> this year. \u201cIt\u2019s the murder that\u2019s taking place every day in our cities that we feed people bad food.\u201d<\/p>\n