ACS CAN testifies at NYC Council hearing on healthy restaurant kids menu legislation

Testimony of American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

to the New York City Council Health Committee

February 25, 2019 • New York, NY

Chair Levine and members of the Health Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.  My name is Michael Davoli and I am the New York Metro Director for Government Relations at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the nonprofit, nonpartisan, advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society.  I am pleased to be able to speak in support of Int 1064-2018.

Obesity has become an epidemic in New York City. After more than a decade of decline, the percentage of obese adults rose to 25 percent.  That’s a 22 percent increase since 2002.  More than half of all adult New Yorkers are either overweight or have obesity. 

Even more alarming is the sharp increase in obesity among youth in New York City. Nearly half of all elementary school and Head Start students are either overweight or obese.  Research shows that overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults and experience other health risks. 

Making this problem even more challenging is the fact that twenty-three percent of adults are consuming sugary drinks daily and numerous studies show that eating habits that are developed as a youth often carry into adulthood.

These trends are so alarming because approximately 18 percent of the over 40,000 cancer cases annually in New York City are caused by poor diet, physical inactivity, excess weight and excess alcohol consumption.  A significant portion of cancers in New York City could be prevented by addressing these factors. Excess body weight increases the risk for several common cancers, including cancers of the female breast (postmenopausal), colon and rectum, uterus, kidney, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, pancreas, ovary, liver, gastric cardia, gallbladder, thyroid, meningioma, and multiple myeloma.

Reducing Sugary Drink Consumption

Despite the evidence linking excess weight, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity to increased cancer risk, the majority of New Yorkers are not meeting recommended nutrition and physical activity targets. Social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors strongly influence individual choices about diet and physical activity. Reversing obesity trends and reducing the associated cancer risk will require a broad range of strategies that include policy and environmental changes that make it easier for individuals to regularly make healthy diet and physical activity choices.

New York City should promote children’s health by ensuring healthy drinks are the norm on children’s menus in every restaurant in New York City. Although parents could still choose from any drink, this policy will help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Sugary drinks are usually the beverage offered with children’s meals even though soda and other sugary drinks are the top source of added sugars in the American diet and excessive consumption of added sugars contributes to an increased risk of obesity and cancer. We must protect the health of our youngest community members.

To ensure New York City youth are eating healthy they need healthy options at home and at school. However, increasingly, kids are eating out side of their homes or at school.  Restaurants do not have to contribute to the obesity epidemic.  Instead they can help parents keep their kids healthy.

Drink options like water, sparkling water, or flavored water, with no added sweetener, milk or non-dairy milk alternatives and 100% juice or juice blended with water, with no added sweeteners are all healthy alternatives to sugary drinks like soda.

While we do not think that including flavored milk as an option is necessary, we do not believe that its inclusion as an option hurts the effectiveness of Intro 1064-2018 and strongly support this legislation.  We will monitor the impact of this legislation and if warranted, we will support future legislation making any necessary changes to the adopted legislation.

ACS CAN Recommends

The science is clear — overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition are the number one cancer risk for people who don't use tobacco. Together, they cause 20 percent of cancer cases.

ACS CAN is working at the local, state and federal levels to prevent these cancers by advocating for legislation and regulations that make information more accessible for healthy choices, ensure healthy schools for our youth and build healthy communities for all.

ACS CAN supports Intro 1064-2018 and encourages its passage. Thank you.