New York – Two New York City hospitals are joining a national program that lets doctors write high-risk, low-income patients prescriptions for fruits and vegetables.
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The pilot program is being launched by Harlem Hospital and Lincoln Medical Center.
Patients who receive the prescriptions can exchange them for “Health Bucks” coupons used at farmers markets.
The produce prescription program is the brainchild of a Connecticut-based organization called Wholesome Wave.
The patients also get nutrition counseling.
Proponents say it’s a win-win: healthier patients and a boost for local farmers.
Win-win?
Except for the taxpayers who have to pick up the tab.
And the fraud will continue with such a program. Is a doctor going to judge who is low income? Who decides? Who chooses which stores accept them? What will stop people from trading them for other things (and then still buy unhealthy food)?
Wake up people: these are your tax dollars at work!
Many people in our community needs nutritional counseling to prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Our “Jewish” diet is very unhealthy. We eat lots of meat, chicken, oily kugels, white breads, salads drowning in mayonnaise and cake and pareve ice cream, which is a gook of unhealthy oils. Moms feed their children pizza and french fries. We need to educate our families about healthy eating, centered around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil and fish and yogurt for protein.This so called Mediterranean diet would drastically reduce the rates of heart disease and diabetes and even Alzheimers in our community. The “Israeli” diet, which focuses on fruits, vegetables, olives, whole wheat bread, and dairy meals during the week is conducive to much better health. Ess gezunteheit!!!!
For #1 it will cost much more to treat the sickness then to provide fruits and veggies.
Excellent idea! Anyone who’s afraid of their tax payer dollar, know that no matter taxes will rise
if you are to stupid to know that you need to eat your fruits and vegetables, then maybe shouldn’t be going to a dr