While the middle of the summer may seem an odd time to name a Heath Advocate of the Year, Holosfitness.com wanted to waste no time in recognizing the significant achievements of New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg. While his efforts have been attacked by critics, Mayor Bloomberg’s actions have been a shinning example for other cities to follow regarding how to target unhealthy behaviors and support healthy, active lifestyles. To his fans across the country, the Mayor’s efforts have spurred a national movement to fight obesity, improve nutrition, and enhance the overall quality of life.

Specific actions taken by the Mayor include: banning smoking in bars, putting fresh produce in poor neighborhoods, and eliminating the use of transfats in city restaurants. More recently the Mayor has altered many city streets to prohibit motor vehicles, an effort intended to promote walking throughout the city. The Mayor worked with taxicab owners to try to modernize the city’s fleet, adding hybrid vehicles and greatly improving fuel efficiency. Additionally, the Mayor has launched a recent “war on salt”, intended reduce the salt intake of his city’s inhabitants.

Some of these actions, such as banning smoking in bars and restaurants, are ideas borrowed from other cities or organizations, but what is amazing about the Mayor’s initiatives is the scope and breadth of his effort. Mayor Bloomberg has sought to improve the quality of life for all types of lifestyles across the city, not simply those in the poorer parts of town, or those who are most affluent.

Bloomberg has fought for these actions despite the fact that several of the initiatives did not initially go over well with voters. Banning smoking in bars and restaurants had a severely negative impact on the Mayor’s approval rating. Despite this fact, he continues to fight for what he believes in. The Mayor has even gone so far as to invest his own personal money in health-related efforts, recently donating a large sum of money to a local school of public health. 

Holosfitness.com recognizes the efforts of Mayor Bloomberg and hopes that it serves as an example of what we can all do to improve our own health and the health of those around us.