New Yorkers can be pretty hardened, but some of the latest ads to come out of Mayor Bloomberg's no-holds-barred anti-obesity campaign are leaving some people in shock.

Specifically addressing the extreme augmentation of portion sizes, the New York Department of Health is swapping their gross-out fat soda ads for even more distressing depictions of obese individuals afflicted by limited mobility.

In the ad to the left, an obese, one-legged man is a startling warning of the repercussions of obesity – specifically, amputation due to diabetes. Another ad shows an obese woman struggling up steep stairs. Both contain warnings about the dangers of growing portions.

Despite the laudable intent to discourage becoming obese, these grim subway posters are being rebuked as scare tactics instead of credible risk reminders.

It's only two weeks away until Integrative Nutrition Live in NYC: Fall IINto Action! We're thrilled that so many of you are travelling from so far, and we want to help you feel as at home in New York City as we can. That's why we've put together our NYC Health Living Guide to Restaurants and Parks & Walking Tours.

If you're looking to get in a good workout while you're here, New York City has some unique options for staying fit and healthy - and many are free! Check out our suggestions to boost your heart rate, New York-style.

Check out all of Integrative Nutrition's Healthy Living Guides!

Fitness

The High Line Skate Rink

New York City is famous for their creative pop-up shops, and the Uniqlo roller skating rink is no exception. The retailer opened up a small Uniqlo outpost under the High Line Park and roller skating rink next to it. For $12 you can rent skates and get a fun work out with some serious New York flair. (Photo Credit: Liz Ligon)

Yoga to the People 

Take a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of New York streets with a class at Yoga to the People. The studio provides Power Vinyasa and Traditional Hot Yoga classes for free at all four of their Manhattan locations.  Check their schedule online and make sure you get there early as classes fill up quick!

Were you laid off by a financial institution in the New York City area? You may be eligible for a National Emergency Grant (NEG). Individuals displaced from their position after May 31, 2008 can qualify for a grant up to $12,500 worth of career training. The Federal NEG program is designed to help the former employees of 31 financial service businesses who were dislocated as a result of the mass layoffs in 2008. If you are an out-of-work financial professional living in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, you may qualify for funds that would pay for your training at Integrative Nutrition!

How do you receive this Grant?

• Visit the State Department of Labor to see if you are eligible
• Contact your local, state employment office to obtain the necessary NEG paperwork

This is a time sensitive program and National Emergency Grant funds will run out when they've been awarded. Certification must be completed by December, 2010.  If you were in the financial industry and are ready to make a career change, please follow up and contact Integrative Nutrition for admissions advice (877) 730-5444.

Good Luck!

Integrative Nutrition will join forces with City Harvest to help provide Thanksgiving dinner for families in the New York Area. This is just a small way of showing thanks for all the good fortune we've had this year. As we grow and expand, Integrative Nutrition is so happy to give back to the community. 

IIN and City Harvest share similar values in promoting nutrition education, locally grown food, and preventative health care. Now serving New York City for more than 25 years, City Harvest is the world's first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city's hungry men, women and children. 

This year, City Harvest will collect over 25 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City Harvest helps over 260,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal. 

City Harvest also addresses hunger’s underlying causes by supporting affordable access to nutritious food in low-income communities, educating individuals, families, and communities in the prevention of diet-related diseases, channeling a greater amount of local farm food into high-need areas, and enhancing the ability of their agency partners to feed hungry men, women and children.

City Harvest works hard to provide enough food and turkeys to help the agencies they serve provide Thanksgiving meals to their clients. They currently provide food to more than 600 soup kitchens and food pantries throughout NYC. City Harvest is kicking off the annual Daily News Readers Care to Feed the Hungry Food Drive this week. This is an annual citywide food drive that raises nearly 1 million pounds of food during the holidays.

If you would like to contribute to City Harvest please visit their website http://www.cityharvest.org/ to find out more.  Also, please pass this information on to others so they can help too. Thank you.

Yesterday at 5:30pm, the final seat for our 2010 Professional Training Program in New York City was filled.

We're so excited to welcome all of you who signed up for class in New York City in February. It's going to be an incredible year!

While in the past we have taken registrations for the program up until days before class starts, this year our program sold out fully 3 months before opening day! This is a testament to how passionate our student body is about being a part of the health solution in America and beyond.

Now that we've introduced Distance Learning, this is the last year ever to participate in the live Professional Training Program in New York City, and study in-person with the world's leaders in nutrition and wellness. We are getting many many calls from people who want to be in the program, there's a huge demand, and we're actively looking for ways to accommodate everyone.

So if you're still wanting to be in the Professional Training Program, please call one of our Admissions Advisors right away. You can reach us at (877) 730-5444.

Sports teams and clubs in New York City schools will need to pack up with their baking supplies and come up with new ways to fundraise this year. The Education Department has taken drastic measures to limit unhealthy foods and has banned most bake sales throughout city schools.

According to an article in the New York Times, approximately 40% of New York City’s elementary and middle school students are overweight or obese. In an attempt to cut empty calories, excess sugar and fat, a new wellness policy was put into place, eliminating bake sales and overhauling foods sold in vending machines and school stores. While schools all over the country are cracking down on sweet treats, policies in New York are the most severe.

The response from students: confusion and irritation. Many found the tried-and-true bake sale to be easy and profitable. One student claimed to profit nearly $500 during one day at a bake sale. School and department officials are urging students to get creative when it comes to raising money. They want to incorporate more healthy and active ideas such as walk-a-thons and races.

What do you think about the bake sale ban? Will a reduction in processed baked goods lower childhood obesity rates and raise productivity? Or will students have trouble raising funds for uniforms and trips? 

Recently, The Department of Health passed a rule enforcing New York City chain restaurants to post their calorie content on menus. This was not an easy feat and has been in the works for a while. Michael Jacobson, executive director of The Center for Science in the Public Interest and guest speaker at Integrative Nutrition has been urging fast food restaurants to do this since the 1980s.  

The menu rule only applies to restaurants that serve standardized portions and have 15 or more locations nationwide. This is all part of New York’s anti-obesity campaign. In an earlier post we mentioned how an area in LA recently passed a law prohibiting new fast food restaurants from opening due to the high rate of obesity in that area. If McDonald’s or Taco Bell promises to include calorie information will the City Council reconsider?  

Some restaurants in New York were caught off guard and are slowly, if at all, adapting. Those who don’t change their menus face a $2,000 fine. Other restaurants are only offering calorie information for some items, but not for others. The goal of this rule is so people can make more informed, healthier choices, not to take these chains out of business. Even if you are not in New York, have you noticed some restaurants posting calorie information on their menu boards? Which cities? Does it influence what you order?