In the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled, threatening children’s well-being, contributing to rising rates of diabetes, and imposing a financial burden on families and government. How can New York City and London reverse these dangerous trends?
To answer this question, in 2008 and 2009 researchers from City University of New York and London Metropolitan University organized meetings with health officials, other researchers and city leaders from London and New York. They analyzed childhood obesity in the two cities, compared municipal responses and recommended strategies for to bring childhood obesity under control.
A new report, A Tale of Two ObesCities: Comparing responses to childhood obesity in London and in New York by the City University of New York and London Metropolitan University draws on their findings and presents a comprehensive strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequalities in health. The report will be released on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 from 8:30 –10:00am at CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue 34th Street, The Skylight Room, Ninth Floor.
“Our report shows that while childhood obesity affects all groups, it is becoming increasingly concentrated among low income children and neighborhoods in both cities,” says Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York School of Public Health, Hunter College, and a co-author of the report. “To bring childhood obesity under control, New York and London need to find new ways to make it easier for low income families to find healthy food and safe places for physical activity and to avoid unhealthy food.” The report shows that both cities face common challenges such as high rates of child poverty, massive efforts to advertise unhealthy food, many recent immigrants and limited ability to bring together the city agencies that can play a role in reducing childhood obesity. However, both cities have launched innovative programs and can learn from each other’s successes.
The report recommends changes in five sectors: land use and planning; food; parks and green space; transportation; schools, and research and training.
Recommendations include:
- Use zoning authority, land use review and other municipal authorities to limit access to unhealthy food
- Use zoning, tax incentives, and city owned property to increase the availability of healthy foods
- Incorporate active design principles into building codes and housing strategies
- Set standards for municipal purchase of food in public agencies and leverage economies of scale to promote food systems that support economic, environmental, and human health
- Re-tool the food safety workforce to address obesity as well as food-borne diseases
- Promote and support urban agriculture as a sustainable and health promoting use of green spaces
- Promote access to places where people can be physically active and make walking and cycling easier and safer
- Implement a universal free school meal program with nutritional standards
- Provide free tap water for schools
- Promote research that helps cities understand how to reduce health inequalities
In response to the release of report in London on January 25, 2010, London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “A superb 2012 legacy for London would be the obliteration of childhood obesity. We are championing effective plans across the capital to fight this and I hope that working with New York will result in leaner, fitter children and families in both our cities. I want to take on the fast food companies who mercilessly lure children into excessive calorie consumption. If schools can help create mini-farms we could cultivate a nation of enthused Jamie Oliver’s. I’m also investing millions in the sports and parks that every child in our city should have access to. A key part of my health inequalities plan is to increase access to affordable healthy alternatives.”
Speakers at the February 10 release will include Dr. Karen Aletha Maybank, Assistant Commissioner, Brooklyn District Public Health Office, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Professor Eileen O’Keefe, London Metropolitan University;
Nancy Romer, a leader of the Brooklyn Food Coalition, and (invited) City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
For admission to the event register at the following url:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHF0c1lQckRkZzh2ZFhmRGhZeElIdGc6MA
For information about the report or collaboration contact:
Nicholas Freudenberg
212-481-4363
or
Kimberly Libman, co-author of report
646-752-6139
For a full copy of the report visit: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/che/childhood_obesity.pdf