Obesity in New York: The Toll, Public Policy Solutions and Challenges

Rensselaer, NY — To address the ever-increasing obesity crisis among adults and children in New York State, a summit was held today to identify ways that state and local leaders can implement public policies that will reduce obesity rates. “Tipping the Scales: Public Policy Approaches to New York’s Obesity Epidemic” brought together officials and experts from across the state and beyond. The summit was sponsored by the New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance in cooperation with the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and The New York Academy of Medicine.

Held at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health in Rensselaer, “Tipping the Scales” featured NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and NYS Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines. DiNapoli and Daines reported on the economic costs and health consequences of obesity, respectively. Michael Jacobson, PhD, executive director of the Center for Science and the Public Interest, an expert in food industry tactics, detailed how food marketing practices are contributing to childhood obesity.

The summit also featured a panel discussion focused on people in the field who shared their challenges and successes implementing nutrition policies and enacting local anti-obesity laws. The panel included Judith A. Meyers, Westchester County Legislator; Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, director, physical activity and nutritional programs, NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene; and Mark Doody, MS, superintendent, Hudson Falls Central School District.

“New York’s growing obesity crisis is both a human and economic disaster for the state,” said Nancy Huehnergarth, director, New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance. “We believe that sound public policy is the key to reversing obesity rates and protecting our children from the damaging marketing practices of Big Food/Big Beverage. Unchecked for decades, food and beverage companies have played a huge role in the declining health of New Yorkers.”

“One third of cancer deaths can be attributed to poor eating habits, overweight and obesity, and physical inactivity,” said Jeanne Walsh, Executive Vice President, Upstate NY, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ. “Obesity is preventable and today’s summit highlights ways state and local leaders can be proactive in reducing this threat. If we can effectively promote healthy behaviors, much of the suffering and death from cancer can be prevented or reduced.”

“The current childhood obesity epidemic has us concerned for the future of our nation’s children. This may be the first generation of children who may not have as long a lifespan as their parents,” said Dr. Stephen Cook, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester and member of the American Heart Association’s Rochester board and state advocacy committee. “For this reason, we must look at public policies to address the nutritional needs of our state’s children in order to reduce their chances of developing obesity related illnesses such as high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke and heart disease.”

“The panel members and experts alike showed the obesity epidemic does not have one cause or one solution,” said Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, president of The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). “It is for this reason that NYAM is advocating for a comprehensive set of policy solutions that range from overhaul of the food environment in schools to providing useful information to the public about food calories. Additionally, NYAM is considering supporting activities that might provide a disincentive for making unhealthy food choices (taxes, public service announcements). If we heed these policy solutions and pay attention to opportunities to make our natural and built environment more inviting to our citizenry, perhaps exercise will become a greater part of our daily lives and obesity a problem we can conquer.”

For more information on anti-obesity measures, contact the New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance at 914-262-9568 or log onto www.nyshepa.org.

NYAM has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities.

Posted on November 4, 2009

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