On to My Hometown: How is Cuisine Impacting Health in the Steel City?

I am so grateful that I was able to perform some of my research around my hometown. Although I've lived in southwestern PA my whole life, I never really stopped to focus on the big picture patterns of nutrition in this area. However, I finally received some insight these past fews days, first by volunteering with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and then by speaking with a registered dietitian at Canonsburg Hospital.

While at the Food Bank (specifically in Beaver Falls), I got to personally hand food to families as they walked through the distribution line. It was so fulfilling to see the smiles and appreciation of the clients in need. Although the Beaver Falls area is not a food desert, the inner city is more of a low-income region, so it is diffficult for some people to access quality foods. However, it was evident that the Food Bank itself offers some great options for the community.

To really get some more scientific info about the nutrition-health connection, I talked with Elizabeth Gatten, MS, RDN, LDN, full-time dietitian at Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, PA. She gave me a ton of info regarding some regional trends for southwest PA as far as nutrition and health are concerned. For starters, deli meats, which are full of sodium, are prominent in this region. Of course, this correlates with cardiovascular disease; however, Canonsburg Hospital is committed to serving homemade, unprocessed foods to patients. She also highlighted that the population in this area tends to be older; however, the younger generation is starting to adopt their own nutritional patterns. Specifically, we discussed that although younger generations are more open to more ethnic, different foods, they tend to "go overboard" with these habits, which can lead to disordered eating patterns and unhealthy obsessions with health. Another trend in this area is the difficulty with accessing fresh produce during the winter months, when many fruits and veggies are not in season. Additionally, the trends that attract many people are not as healthy as they may first seem. Ms. Gatten specifically discussed the keto diet, which focuses on lowering carbohydrate intake as a means to lose weight. However, many people do not realize that replacing carbohydrate-rich foods with fatty foods also leads to an increase in cholesterol intake, which is correlated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Although the southwestern PA region is marked with some poor dietary habits, it was great to learn about the great work the hospital is doing to ensure that patients are receiving great nutrition. Even better, these patients are able to use the knowledge that Ms. Gatten and the dietary team give them to promote healthier eating throughout their entire lives and spread those ideas with the whole community.