MORE LEADERS, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS AND ANTI-OBESITY ADVOCATES EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S NEW ANTI-OBESITY INITIATIVE Statements in Support of New York City's Limit on Size of Sugary Beverages

STATEMENT OF PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON, ON CNNPIERS MORGAN TONIGHT

"I think he's doing the right thing. For the first time, Type II Diabetes is showing up in nine-year-olds, and among the baby boomers, who are retiring. I know a lot of people think 'this is a nanny state' but there are very serious problems. [Diabetes] is basically too much sugar going into the body, we can't process it all. So, if you get rid of these giant, full of sugar drinks, and make people have smaller portions, it will help."

STATEMENT OF DR. STEVEN SAFYER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER

"Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of large surgery drinks is an important step in the fight against obesity. I've watched for years as the obesity epidemic exploded, impairing the lives of children and adults and putting them at early risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Far-reaching measures like this one are needed if we are going to turn this health crisis around."

STATEMENT OF PASTOR BRIAN CARTER, PRESIDENT, BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN ECUMENICAL ADVISORY GROUP

"New York City's low-income residents expect their elected officials to protect them from unscrupulous industry practices that put profits above the health and well-being of our communities. The City's proposal to limit the size of sugary drinks satisfies this principle. 

"Adults in the city's poorest neighborhoods suffer from obesity and diabetes at twice the rate of the wealthiest New Yorkers, and bear the disproportionate burden of diabetes-related hospitalizations and deaths. Moreover, there is evidence that this trend begins in the earlier years of childhood. We know that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is fueling these epidemics. Frankly, the best argument for limiting the consumption of sugary drinks is that it's good public health.

"The ecumenical community will continue to work with government and public health agencies to reduce rates of obesity and diabetes in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods. City officials will be doing what you elected them to do: fighting for your right to a longer and healthier life."

STATEMENT OF BARRY POPKIN, PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL, ON NPR

"Controlling sugary beverage portions sizes is critical for reducing weight gain and [the] risks of diabetes in the U.S."

STATEMENT OF NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER FELIX W. ORTIZ

"If we wait to deal with these problems, we are allowing a huge portion of our population to live a less healthy and greatly shortened life. The obesity epidemic is clearly a problem that we have not been able to solve at an individual level. We need to work together to combat this crisis and to put in place barriers to unhealthy and dangerous products."

STATEMENT OF BRIAN ELBEL, HEALTH POLICY EXPERT, NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER, IN NEW YORK POST

"Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to obesity potentially more than other foods or beverages. There is scientific validity to targeting them."

STATEMENT OF HIGH VOLTAGE, ENERGY UP!

"The proposal to ban over-sized sugary drinks by Bloomberg and the NYC Department of Health is a HUGE step in the right direction. We need more mainstream awareness like this to educate our society of the REAL DEAL effects of sugar on their weight and overall health. Sugar is the tobacco of this decade! Energy Up! and our 'Choose To Be Sugar-Free' school initiative support this proposal and hope everyone takes the time to educate themselves on proper moderation and healthy lifestyles prior to taking sides in this debate. Energy Up! Wooooo!"

STATEMENT OF ELLEN RAUTENBERG, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS

"Addressing the obesity epidemic is a public health necessity but extremely complex. A variety of mutually reinforcing interventions, starting in early childhood, are needed to prevent obesity from occurring. Even more difficult is intervening once excessive weight gain has begun. Limiting portion size is one important approach to this multifaceted problem and applying this to sugary drinks, particularly those with no nutritional value, is an excellent place to begin. We went from happily accepting bottles of soda that were 6.5 fluid ounces and have now come to expect that a "regular" drink is 32 ounces. It is logical that if we still want those sodas we could again be very satisfied with one of 16 ounces or less." 

STATEMENT OF MAYOR EDWARD I. KOCH

"Obesity is increasing every year. It is obvious that simply pointing that out, as we do, has not been enough to halt the increase in the number of people added to the obese list each year. The Mayor's action in restricting some of the sales of the unbelievably sugar-laden drinks is a positive measure. I pray it works."

STATEMENT OF MARION NESTLE, PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION, FOOD STUDIES, AND PUBLIC HEALTH AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, ON CBS NEWS

"Something needs to be done, and you can't just tell people to eat better and move more. If I'm given huge amounts of food, I'm going to eat it. Cheers for the Bloomberg administration, they're really trying to make environmental changes."

STATEMENT OF WALTER WILLETT, MD, DRPH, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

"New York City's plan to limit the serving size of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in restaurants is well-justified by solid evidence. High intakes of these beverages increase the risks of obesity and diabetes and are clearly unsafe for anyone. Of course, this alone won't halt the epidemics of these diseases sweeping our country, but it is valuable and creative step in the right direction that deserves the support of everyone who cares about the wellbeing of our children and all Americans. " 

STATEMENT OF EZEKIEL J. EMANUEL, M.D., PH.D, VICE PROVOST FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ETHICS AND HEALTH POLICY, LEVY UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AT PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ONMORNING JOE

"When you and I were growing up six ounces or eight ounces was the norm. Now you've got 20 ounces, 26 ounces, 32 ounces. It is ridiculous. I think your Mayor is bold.

"I do think we should not think of this as the end. This is only part of a complex approach that we need. And I do think what he's saying is right - these ginormous drinks, they're not what we ought to be doing. He's doing what we did about smoking, saying we need to get this category off the element.

"But even you, Joe, who are conservative I might say, you don't think this is nanny-state. I've heard you say that. You think that we need to do a lot here, and I think we should get the nanny-state issue off the table, because this isn't about the nanny-state."

STATEMENT OF KELLY BROWNELL, DIRECTOR, RUDD CENTER FOR FOOD POLICY & OBESITY AT YALE UNIVERSITY, IN USA TODAY

"This is a big deal. Soda companies and restaurants will go ballistic, and the reason is it interferes with their basic business model, which is to sell as much as they can of their highest profit margin item. They are establishing the role of government in fighting obesity by setting limits on sizes. This is an approach that I think would help fight the obesity epidemic, but we'll have to do many such things in order to reverse the epidemic."

STATEMENT OF CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MICHAEL F. JACOBSON

"Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pioneering proposal to limit serving sizes of sugary drinks is the boldest effort yet to prevent obesity, which is not only painful for millions of Americans but is costing our nation upwards of $150 billion in higher health costs annually. New York City's health department deserves tremendous credit for recognizing the harm that sugary soft drinks cause in the form of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease-and for doing something about it. We hope other city and state public health officials adopt similar curbs on serving sizes and reducing Americans' exposure to these nutritionally worthless products."

STATEMENT OF DR. ROBERT ROSS, PRESIDENT, CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT

"We need to move Mayor Bloomberg's effort beyond the five boroughs to all fifty states. Junk drinks are a leading cause of an obesity and excess weight crisis that affects nearly one of every three kids in the United States and half of all kids in poor, rural areas.

"We must treat junk drinks like the health hazard that they are. Mayor Bloomberg's proposal will not only begin to curb the thousands of killer calories from junk drinks, but this action will also help educate the public about the threat they pose.

"Soda and other sugary beverages are the leading source of added sugar in children's diets today. This crisis is making our kids sick and costing our nation billions in medical costs and lost productivity.

"We applaud Mayor Bloomberg for his continued leadership and to his innovative and aggressive approach to preventive health."

STATEMENT OF THE UNITED WAY

"United Way of New York City is dedicated to improving Health, Education and Income for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, so we applaud Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to ban sales of large-size sugary beverages from restaurants, mobile food carts, movie theaters and delis. With 58% of NYC adults and 40% of city public school students obese or overweight, this measure would be a powerful step in combating unhealthy weight and advancing the effort to make New Yorkers healthier.

"United Way of New York City's food programs similarly require soup kitchens and food pantries to limit beverages to skim milk and 100% fruit juices, and we join the Mayor in his continued efforts to encourage New Yorkers to make better food choices. Measures like these, coupled with nutrition education and greater access to locally grown fruits and vegetables, are key to reducing diabetes, hypertension, and other diet-related diseases that plague far too many in our city."

STATEMENT OF THE GYNHA/1199 SEIU HEALTHCARE EDUCATION PROJECT

"There is no question that excessive soda consumption has helped trigger a dramatic increase in obesity and related illnesses like diabetes in New York City," said GYNHA president Kenneth E. Raske. "New York's hospital community applauds Mayor Bloomberg for taking an important step to improve the public's health."

"Banning the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks will improve our health today and the health of future generations," said 1199/SEIU president George Gresham. "Dozens of studies have shown that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to increased weight gain and obesity, and thanks to Mayor Bloomberg's leadership, New York City is doing something about it."

STATEMENT OF THE CITIZENS' COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN

"CCC strongly supports Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to establish a maximum size of 16 fluidounces for sugary drinks sold in food service establishments, such as restaurants, arenas, food carts or movie theaters. Over 40 percent of New York City's public school children in

kindergarten through eighth grade are obese or overweight, and it has been proven that the

consumption of sugary beverages is a large contributor to this rate.

Curbing consumption of sugary beverages, particularly for children, is therefore critical. Obese and overweight children are at risk for chronic health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. The Mayor's proposal will not only help children learn important lessons about portion control, but it will serve to positively impact their long-term health and well-being."

STATEMENT OF NANCY HUEHNERGARTH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK STATE HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ALLIANCE

"Portion sizes have exploded in the United States in the past few decades and so has obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average size of a fast-food soda is six times larger than a soda 60 years ago. If we want to encourage people to consume fewer, non-nutritious sugary drinks, then Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to limit the size of these drinks is a smart move."

STATEMENT OF THE OBESITY SOCIETY

"The Obesity Society supports the efforts of Mayor Bloomberg to ban the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages larger than 16 ounces. This is a measure that will help efforts to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which research shows are a major contributor to increased calorie intake by both children and adults, thus potentially contributing to the nation's obesity epidemic.

"Two-thirds of American adults and over half of Canadians are overweight or obese. In addition to the significant cost it imposes on the nation's health care system, obesity at any age increases the risk of many chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and can significantly worsen quality of life.

"Although obesity is caused by myriad of factors, there is a large body of evidence suggesting that a significant contributor to consumption of extra calories over the last three decades is the over- consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages including soda, sports and energy drinks, fruit drinks, and enhanced waters. Research indicates that Americans consume nearly 200-300 more calories per day than 30 years ago, with the largest single increase in calories due to sugar-sweetened beverages. Calories from sugar-sweetened beverage are empty calories because they are typically devoid of nutrients other than simple sugar. In contrast, 100% fruit juices, while containing natural sugars, do often contain vitamins and minerals. Research also suggests that sugar-sweetened beverages fail to produce the feeling of satiety that occurs from calories derived from solid foods, thus potentially contributing to overeating.

"The substantial increase in calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages is explained in part by increasing portion size: the 6 ½ ounce single serving bottle enjoyed in the 1960s has given way to the 20 ounce drink found in vending machines and store cold cases, and to the 20-32 ounce drinks in chain stores and restaurants. The New York initiative specifically targets this problem and attempts to bring serving sizes of these beverages back to a more reasonable range. Although the relationship between sugar sweetened beverage consumption and increased calorie intake is strong, it should be noted that not all research demonstrates a link between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and obesity.

"Sugar sweetened beverages have also been demonstrated to have an adverse effects on obesity-related chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In a study of 91,249 women followed for 8 years, those who consumed one or more servings of soft drink per day were twice as likely as those who consumed <1 serving per month to develop diabetes. These effects remained significant after controlling for BMI, energy intake and other potential confounders. Studies have also found associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and blood pressure."