Today, and hopefully for years to come, October 24th, is Food Day. It is a national day of food awareness- to promote healthy eating and affordable, accessible food. It is sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit advocacy group that has led successful campaigns for food labeling, better nutrition, and safer food. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are the Honorary Co-Chairs for Food Day 2011. Advisory board members include nutrition experts and public health activists Marion Nestle, Michael Pollan, and Kelly Brownell.
Food Day is centered on six principles:
- Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
- Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
- Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
- Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms
- Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
- Support fair conditions for food and farm workers
In honor of Food Day, I will be giving a lecture on portion sizes and the obesity epidemic entitled Portion Sizes Continue to Increase: Issues and Policy Implications to students at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition in New York City.
There are so many ways YOU can get involved in Food Day. This is just the beginning of a movement to promote healthy eating, reduce disease, curb junk-food marketing, alleviate hunger, support sustainable farms, and more. Read more about Food Day and see how you can get involved and what you can do.