Hospitals Reduce Climate Change and Promote Health Through “Balanced Menus Challenge”

PR Log (Press Release) – Sep 23, 2009 – Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) has announced the “ Balanced Menus Challenge,” a voluntary commitment by healthcare institutions to reduce their meat offerings in patient meals and hospital cafeterias by 20 percent in 12 months.  Balanced Menus is a climate change reduction strategy that also protects the effectiveness of antibiotics and promotes good nutrition.  Fourteen hospitals are already participating in the national Balanced Menus Challenge, which was developed by HCWH’s Healthy Food in Healthcare Initiative. (see hospital list at end of release).

The USDA recommends 5-6 oz of meat/fish/poultry/beans  per day , and for meat alone, Americans on average eat 8 oz daily.  Hospital food service operations often mirror this trend, offering sizable servings of meat several meals per day. High consumption of conventionally produced meat and processed meat contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, dementia, and some kinds of cancer.  Over-consumption of meat contributes to the overwhelming cost of the US health system (estimated to be $147B as a result of obesity management alone) as well as environmental damage such as climate change, water and air pollution.

Most hospitals buy substantial amounts of meat, typically through large distributors who source from the U.S. commodity beef, pork and poultry markets. U.S. food production relies heavily on fossil fuels, and red meat production is particularly energy intensive as it requires significant inputs of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to grow crops for feed. The food system accounts for over 10 percent of overall energy use in the United States. Globally, livestock for meat and dairy production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gases, more than all of Earth’s cars, trains, and planes combined.

“While food choice is distinctly personal, the healthcare community should be at the forefront in modeling a healthy food agenda for the nation,” said Jamie Harvie, chair of the HCWH Healthy Food in Health Care Initiative. “Encouraging a reduced and sustainable meat diet is part of a primary prevention agenda to reduce the nation’s chronic diet-related illnesses, but also contributes substantially to climate mitigation, clean air and water, and protection of the effectiveness of antibiotics.”  

Most US meat is produced under a system that relies on the routine feeding of antibiotics to make animals grow faster and consume less feed grain. Arsenic compounds and hormones are given to animals for similar reasons. These additives further contaminate animal manure, which then moves off the crowded facilities, polluting land, air and water. Sustainably raised meat and poultry precludes the use of antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes. Approximately 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the U. S. are given to healthy animals to promote growth and compensate for crowded conditions and poor husbandry practices in conventional animal production.
“As institutions with considerable buying power, hospitals can demonstrate leader¬ship to the marketplace by reducing the overall quantity of meat and poultry served and through purchasing of sustainably produced meat,” stated Harvie.  “The health care sector is increasingly aware of its responsibility to model healthy behavior for the community.  Reducing their meat purchasing will help reduce the overall cost of medical care in this country, with benefits ranging from savings in actual food service costs to reduction in pollution, but most importantly, to contribute to healthy lifestyles that will improve the health of Americans.”

“The Truman Medical Centers are dedicated to serving our community,” stated John Bluford, CEO, Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, MO. “We are committed to improving the health and welfare of my associates which I hope will extend into their communities. The Balanced Menu Challenge is one of the commitments our team is making to make this a reality. At the same time, we know that we are working toward a larger goal of improving our environment for the future of our community.”

“As we debate health care reform in the US, it is important to recognize that eating less conventionally produced meat will reduce drivers of many of the major chronic diseases that threaten the sustainability of our health care system stated Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, of the Science and Environmental Health Network. It is good for people and good for the planet."

"It was amazingly simple to make an impact on our carbon footprint by starting with small changes that were easy to implement and working our way up to the patient menu which is more complicated,” said Linda Hansen, CDM, CFPP, Director of Nutrition Services at St. Joseph Health System in Sonoma County, CA. “Almost immediately, cafeteria customers began requesting more vegetarian and vegan options.  By implementing Balanced Menus, we are able to remain cost neutral, or even sometimes achieve savings for the hospital, not to mention the savings to our healthcare system that result from providing patients, staff and visitors healthier foods."

For more information about the “Balanced Menus Challenge,” go to http://noharm.org/us_canada/issues/food/menus.php