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NYC Is At It Again. This Time Salt Is The Enemy.

Last month, we blogged about New York Governor David Paterson's announcement that he was supporting an 18% tax against sugary drinks that contribute to the obesity epidemic in his state (and across the country). I called him "New York Governor--Public Health Crusader."

Now, New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden is on a crusade of his own. This time he's waging a war against salt. That dangerous NaCl. As the New York Times remarks, he's already won resounding victories against formidable foes such as trans fats, smoking, and calories, but now he's taking on one of the most ubiquitous chemical compounds in the food industry.

But have no fear: he's not coming after your grandmother's salt shaker. Frieden wants to reduce the number of pre-packaged and pre-prepared restaurant meals eaten by Americans. How will the CAN (Crusader Against NaCL) do it?

By identifying the most salty foods and convincing companies to reduce the sodium content by 25% in the next 5 years and 25% more in the next 5. Methinks this does not sound like an easy task. But who would have thought trans fats could have been banned from the Big Apple?

Moreover, I see no ethical argument against what Frieden is proposing. He's not trying to rid the entire city of salt or round up all the boroughs' salt shakers and burn them in a giant bonfire. He's arguing for a step-wise approach for food manufacturers to phase out sodium to the 50% level of what they currently use in their product. Plus, there are salt alternatives on the market for consumers. Remember Mrs. Dash?

Frieden's support from the AMA and other national organizations means that this initiative has the potential to reach nationwide--as it should. We are a nation addicted to salt. The food lobbies will fight it for sure. But kudos to Dr. Frieden for making salt the enemy and for infringing upon our liberties where salt is concerned, just this once.

Summer Johnson, PhD