Healthy Beverage Zone

Welcome to the HBZ!

Our goal in launching this borough-wide initiative is to build a movement to promote healthy beverage options for all who work, live, and visit the Bronx!

The HBZ is an evidence-based project led by Union Community Health Center, Bronx Health REACH, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bronx Neighborhood Health Action Center to assist organizations interested in becoming a HBZ site in creating a supportive environment to promote healthy beverage options at their workplaces. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single largest source of excess calories in the American diet. Thus, healthy beverages are an important factor to reversing the effects of weight gain, diet-related diseases (such as diabetes and heart disease), and poor dental health. By communicating a clear and consistent message in support of healthy lifestyle choices, the HBZ is taking an important first step in creating environments where the healthy beverage choice is the easy choice.

There is a growing concern about poor health outcomes in the Bronx and the increasing economic burden due to obesity and diabetes. Since 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings Report has ranked the Bronx as number 62 out of New York State’s 62 counties in terms of health outcomes. In response to this ranking, several Bronx partners have come together to build a coalition to improve the health of our borough. In early 2015, the coalition developed an ongoing neighborhood health strategy called, “#Not62—The Campaign for A Healthy Bronx.” The #Not62 Campaign engages multiple sectors to address the social, economic, and physical environment throughout the Bronx which contributes to, residents’ health outcomes.Through the #Not62 Campaign, the Bronx “Initiative for Healthy Eating & Active Living (iHEAL)” was formed as a sub-committee with the common agenda of making the healthy choice the easier choice for all Bronxites. It was here where the Healthy Beverage Zone (HBZ) project was developed to promote healthy beverage consumption at workplaces to address the obesity epidemic. Becoming a HBZ is easy! It starts by one person making a commitment to change their organization’s culture around beverage consumption. In turn, HBZ partners make a commitment to help them to achieve their goal of adopting healthy beverage standards.

Let’s get started!