It may be known as the Big Apple, but New York's outgoing administration, headed by mayor Michael Bloomberg, apparently wants to slim that apple down by taking a fresh approach to the issue of obesity.
A new project called the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program is currently being trialled at two hospitals in New York and aims to tackle the problem by giving patients and their entire families special vouchers called Health Bucks, which they can exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers' markets around the city.
According to New York health commissioner Thomas Farley, the programme is a 'creative approach' that will enable patients at two medical centres in the Bronx and Manhattan to visit any one of 142 markets participating in the scheme.
'A food environment full of processed foods full of fat, sugar, and salt is contributing to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases,' he told reporters.
Worth US$2 each, Health Bucks vouchers are distributed by the New York City Health Department.
New York's prescription trial has apparently been adapted from an initiative called FVRx, which was previously introduced by non-profit organisation Wholesome Wave in other parts of the US including Washington DC.
