The Times' Oct. 15 editorial ("Wait a New York minute!") on New York City's recent actions to improve nutrition misses the mark on several counts. We disagree with a number of the opinions expressed in the editorial regarding public health efforts by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to reduce the consumption of sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages
First, Americans now consume nearly double the daily recommended amount of salt. More than 75% of this intake comes from processed foods and restaurant fare, over which consumers have little control. Excess sodium consumption is a major cause of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. National estimates indicate that population-wide reductions in salt intake could prevent more than 100,000 deaths a year. An effort spearheaded by New York City is underway in which the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, along with many other health departments and organizations, are collectively working with food and restaurant industries to gradually reduce salt in their products. This approach has worked in Europe, where products similar to those sold in the United States contain far less sodium.
