Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) announced a pilot program called Eating Heart Healthy: A Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program for Women. The announcement — served as SNP’s Commitment to Action, a plan for addressing significant global challenges made by CGI members.
The Eating Heart Healthy pilot program, launched in June 2014, was conducted in partnership with two Boston, Mass., U.S.-based organizations: Bringham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (RTH).
At the start of the pilot program, participants were surveyed to gauge their baseline knowledge of heart-healthy practices and to determine their current level of seafood consumption. One of the most significant findings was a general low level of omega-3 fatty acids in the first group of participants.
Participants then attended talks on cardiovascular health and food budgeting presented by BWH, and engaged in a series of interactive cooking sessions.
According to Aileen Sauris, BWH nurse practitioner, early feedback has been positive. The women expressed that they are “feeling more energetic and making positive lifestyle changes,” said Sauris. Post-program, the participants will receive follow-up surveys and health screenings over the course of one year to measure long-term progress in health knowledge and in overall physical health.
“Eating heart healthy is the first of what we hope to be many examples of broad-based partnerships that address America’s public health crisis,” said Linda Cornish, SNP executive director. “We are committed to building awareness of seafood-based omega-3 deficiencies in the U.S., and we’re excited for the opportunity to show more communities how adding seafood to one’s diet can be a simple, affordable and enjoyable way to help prevent chronic diseases. We invite interested partners to learn more about the program and to help us scale this to a national level, targeting communities with the greatest needs.”
