The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene asked the city’s Board of Health to place on restaurant menus a warning symbol – a salt shaker – next to any single dish with 2,300 milligrams of sodium – the amount of salt any of us should consume on a daily basis (see:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/apnewsbreak-nyc-officials-high-sodium-warning-menus-31643165).  Here is CSPI’s statement about it:  http://www.cspinet.org/new/201506091.html and below are some model social media to help with sharing the news.

 

 

Tweets:

 

BREAKING Good news: @nycHealthyproposes warning symbols for chain restaurant menu items w 2,300+ mg sodium/serving: ow.ly/O5LCi

 

5,820 mg sodium in one dish?! @Applebees Sizzling Skillet Fajitas need proposed @nycHealthy sodium warning!

Excess sodium boosts blood pressure. @nycHealthy puts pressure w proposed warnings for items w 1 tsp+ salt/serving. http://ow.ly/O5Sqb

 

Facebook:

Most people would never pour a whole teaspoon of salt on any single dish, so shouldn’t people be warned when restaurants are doing essentially that for them?

New York City’s bold move to require a warning symbol on menu items with a day’s worth of sodium or more would give consumers easy-to-understand information if they wish to avoid some of the unhealthiest meals.  Sensible warning notices will prompt restaurants to use less salt and will help consumers reduce their risk of stroke or heart attack.

New York City is often an early-adopter of progressive public health policies, like when the city required calorie counts on chain restaurant menus years before calorie count requirements were introduced nationwide. Similar to calorie counts on menus, NYC’s new sodium warning also deserves to be replicated around the country. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/apnewsbreak-nyc-officials-high-sodium-warning-menus-31643165