Health Department Launches New Ad Campaign Spotlighting Increasing Portion Sizes and Their Devastating Consequences The Health Department launched a new hard-hitting ad campaign urging New Yorkers to be more aware of portion sizes - and how they have increased - when choosing what to eat or drink. The quantity of food served in a “medium” or “large” order is significantly greater today than in previous years. In the last 50 years, for example, the serving sizes of sugary drinks quadrupled and french fries nearly tripled. With a few casual selections, a single meal could balloon to contain many more calories than the amount an adult needs for an entire day. This new campaign, along with the City’s ongoing requirement that chain restaurants post calorie counts, will continue to provide New Yorkers with the information they need to make healthier choices. Read the press release See the online press kit
Bucking National Trends, City Announces Drop in New York City Childhood Obesity Rates Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley and Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott announced today that, following years of pioneering policies to improve child nutrition and encourage exercise, obesity rates among New York City public elementary and middle school students have decreased over the past five school years across all race and ethnic groups. This marks the biggest decline in childhood obesity reported to date by any large city in the country and stands in sharp contrast to the stagnant nationwide rates.
See the Mayor's press release Read more about NYC Food Standards See the CDC Report
Health Department Announces New York City’s Favorite Baby Names from 2010 In 2010 in New York City Isabella and Jayden held fast as the most popular baby names for the second year in a row. The Health Department’s latest annual tally of New York City birth certificates shows that Isabella was the most popular name for baby girls born in 2010, with nearly 600 Isabellas added to the Big Apple last year. Jayden kept the top spot for boys with more than 800 newborn boys named Jayden.
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MAYOR BLOOMBERG, DEPUTY MAYOR GIBBS, HEALTH COMMISSIONER FARLEY ANNOUNCE NEW YORKERS LIVING LONGER THAN EVER, OUTPACING NATIONAL TREND Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley today announced that, surpassing national figures, New Yorkers are living longer than ever before. Influenced by New York City's aggressive public health initiatives and improvements in the quality of the health care delivery system, babies born in New York City in 2009 have the record high life expectancy of 80.6 years, an increase of nearly three years since 2000 and nearly two and a half years more than the most recently reported national rate of 78.2 years. Read the press release Download the charts (PDF) Watch the video Learn more
New Public Health Media Campaign Describes Serious Health Risks from Smoking Even One Cigarette A Day As part of the Bloomberg Administration’s ongoing effort to improve the health of New Yorkers, the New York City Health Department next week will launch a new TV campaign underscoring the health consequences of “light” smoking. This is the Department’s first campaign specifically targeting light smokers – those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes per day – with information on the dangerous health effects of even light or casual smoking. The campaign, called “One Cigarette is One Too Many,” contrasts people defending their light smoking with the grim realities of the well-documented health effects from light smoking. One ad shows a woman under the quote, “I only smoke when I take breaks at work…” followed by the warning, “She could still have a heart attack.”
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NYC Health Commissioner Urges All New Yorkers to Get Vaccinated Before Flu Season Hits Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley urged all New Yorkers to get a flu shot before the flu season gets into full swing. Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection that, together with pneumonia, is the third leading cause of death in New York City. Influenza season in New York typically starts in the winter months, peaking in January through March. Read the press release Learn more Flu Clinic Locator
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