An Open Letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker

An Open Letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker 6 Download

Re-Educating Philadelphia for True Health

Dear Mayor Parker,

Philadelphia is facing a metabolic health crisis that can no longer be ignored. The numbers speak for themselves:

1 in 3 adults in Philadelphia is obese.
Over 1 in 3 live with high blood pressure.
More than 1 in 10 have diabetes.
Among our children, 41% are overweight or obese.

That means only 4 in 10 adults in our city are truly healthy. The rest carry the burden of chronic disease — a burden that shortens lives, weakens families, and drains our city’s future.

This is not just bad luck. It is the result of failed nutrition guidelines, failed education, and failed leadership.

The Root Problem: Outdated Nutrition Models

Our city health officials still operate under the USDA food pyramid and MyPlate models, which:

Promote grains and processed carbohydrates as staples.
Push seed oils as “healthy fats.”
Restrict natural, nutrient-rich foods like red meat, butter, eggs, and raw dairy.

These models were built on flawed science. In the decades since they became policy, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease have exploded in Philadelphia.

It is time to admit the truth: this paradigm has failed.

A Call for Re-Education and Reform

Re-train city health officials and school nutrition staff in evidence-based, ancestral nutrition that prioritizes whole foods and animal-based nourishment.
Abandon outdated USDA dietary models and build a Philadelphia Nutrition Standard rooted in:

Beef, eggs, butter, and raw dairy.
Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi) and raw honey.
Seasonal produce, locally sourced.
Zero tolerance for ultraprocessed junk, seed oils, or sugary drinks.

School Food Reform: Eliminate soft pretzels, juice boxes, and processed junk from Philadelphia schools. Replace them with real food: burger patties, steaks, eggs, raw milk, and fermented vegetables — cooked only in butter, tallow, or ghee.
Citywide Education Campaign: Go school to school, family to family, teaching the truth about primal health and the dangers of processed foods.

Mandatory Daily Physical Training

Nutrition alone is not enough. To reverse this epidemic, we must also restore movement, strength, and sunlight to the daily rhythm of our children’s lives.

Mandatory daily calisthenics in every school: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and running.
More recess and outdoor time to ensure children get sunlight and natural exercise.
Build a culture of discipline, resilience, and pride in physical strength.

These are not luxuries — they are necessities for human health.

Building a Local Food Supply Chain

To make this vision real, Philadelphia must secure a direct partnership with farmers who produce nutrient-dense, animal-based foods. We propose:

Partner with Pennsylvania Amish and local farms to source grass-fed beef, raw dairy, and eggs for the Philadelphia school system.
Bulk Purchasing of Beef: Buy beef in large quantities directly from farmers, cutting out middlemen and reducing costs.
Deep Freezer Storage: Each school (or district hub) should be equipped with commercial deep freezers capable of storing a full year’s supply of beef. This ensures food security and long-term stability in pricing.
True Farm-to-School Pipeline: Instead of relying on corporate food service contractors, build a sustainable relationship with local agriculture, guaranteeing freshness, accountability, and quality.
Economic Benefits: This approach keeps food dollars in Pennsylvania, strengthens small farms, and builds resilience against supply chain disruptions.

Funding and Sustainability

We recognize that federal reimbursements tie our schools to failed USDA food models. If Philadelphia must step away from those funds to protect our children, then let us lead with courage and vision.

Redirect Existing Health Spending: Philadelphia spends millions treating obesity and diabetes. A fraction of these dollars can be shifted toward prevention — real food and fitness for children.
Farm Partnerships: Bulk purchasing directly from Amish and Pennsylvania farms cuts costs by removing corporate middlemen.
Freezer Investment: Deep freezers allow schools to purchase beef in bulk when prices are lowest, storing a year’s supply to ensure stability and savings.
Local Philanthropy & Hospitals: Partner with Penn Medicine, CHOP, Drexel, Temple, and local foundations to co-fund a Healthy Schools Pilot Program. These institutions already invest in community health.
Corporate & Community Buy-In: Local businesses and organizations can sponsor schools as part of their community responsibility.
Long-Term ROI: Every dollar spent now reduces future Medicaid costs, emergency care, and special education needs tied to poor nutrition.

The cost of inaction is higher: Philadelphia already pays dearly in lost health, lost years, and lost potential. Investing in real food is investing in the survival of our city.

The Vision

Imagine a Philadelphia where:

Children drink raw milk at lunch instead of neon-colored juice.
Students eat burgers, eggs, and fermented foods instead of pretzels and sugar.
Every child begins their day with push-ups in the sunlight.
Schools store a full year’s worth of local beef in deep freezers, guaranteeing food security and nutrition.
Chronic disease declines, and our people grow strong, sharp, and resilient.

Philadelphia can be the first major American city to reject the broken food pyramid and embrace real health. But it will take bold leadership, courage, and the will to say: our children should not eat poison.

Respectfully,
Dante Sisofo