Health nut mayor puts new focus on bad habits

Concerned about his own health
With nutrition, Bloomberg has so far stopped short of measures as aggressive as the smoking ban. But his obsession with weight and eating should not be underestimated.

Bloomberg, who is 5-feet-8, keeps a close eye on his own waistline. In 2001, he was horrified when he saw an unflattering photograph of himself in the newspaper. Aides said he tacked the clipping next to his desk as inspiration to lose the weight, which he did.

The 63-year-old mayor runs for nearly an hour every day on a treadmill at his Upper East Side home. He limits unhealthy takeout lunches, eats a lot of salads and snacks on popcorn.

Bloomberg’s weaknesses are red wine, hot dogs and the occasional hamburger. If he overindulges, there’s a price to pay: He has a weight-loss wager with longtime friend Peter Grauer, the CEO of Bloomberg LP. They weigh in every six weeks, and whoever is over his goal weight — Bloomberg’s is 169 — must fork over cash to charity.

The mayor’s administration is also beginning a venture to change workplace nutrition. Officials are urging some of the city’s biggest employers, including Consolidated Edison and large hospitals, to shape up their cafeteria food and vending-machine snacks.

The health department is even cleaning up its own diet, recently banning things like doughnuts and soda from meetings.

Next week, the department is launching a drive to improve what’s on the shelves of local bodegas. These corner stores are often the chief source for groceries in many poor neighborhoods, and they often don’t stock healthy staples like low-fat milk, fruits and vegetables. The pilot program will push the sale of 1 percent milk at a handful of bodegas in Harlem, the South Bronx and Brooklyn.

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City officials say the recent focus on health issues may be yielding encouraging results: In 2004, heart attack deaths dropped significantly. Frieden says the city’s anti-tobacco campaign may be one of several reasons for the improvement. Health officials say the number of smokers in New York City has fallen by nearly 200,000 since 2002.

Critics say the administration still hasn’t done enough for school nutrition and that many unhealthy items remain on the lunch line. Soda has been phased out, but it was replaced by high-sugar Snapple.

HEALTH INITIATIVES The administration of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has targeted bad health habits in several ways: 2003 — Restaurants and bars go smoke-free and health department hands out free nicotine patches. — Education department starts trying to cut the fat in some of its school cafeteria food. 2005 — Health department begins campaign against trans-fats, urging restaurants to make an “oil change” in their kitchens. — Health officials begin helping employers to offer healthier fare in cafeterias and vending machines. 2006 — Pilot program set to begin encouraging the use of low-fat milk. — The venture will be expanded to include whole-grain bread plus fruits and vegetables. Source: The Associated Press

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