I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Director of the New York City Food & Fitness Partnership (NYC FAFP)! I am very excited to join you all in moving the work of the Partnership to the next stage and to grow the movement for healthy food and active living. I am committed to working with you, our community partners and residents to ensure that we create environments that support good food and opportunities for physical activity and that ensure that our children and families thrive.

I have a varied background in nonprofit management, program development and policy research. Previously, I provided consulting services in the nonprofit and private sectors. I also worked at Seedco, a national workforce and economic development nonprofit that helps low-income people and communities move towards economic prosperity. I received my BA Degree in Art History/Premed from Columbia University and my Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Currently under consideration in New York State is legislation to address the high rates of obesity in our communities - an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. As you know, nearly 40% children and 60% of adults in New York City are overweight or obese. Americans consume 200-300 more calories per day today than they did 30 years ago. During that time, we have tripled our consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages which accounts for the single largest increase in calories and nearly half of the added sugar we consume. This should come as no surprise considering that these beverages have gotten bigger, cheaper and more prevalent over the years. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that over the past 30 years, the cost of soft drinks has risen at only three-quarters of the rate of inflation, while the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen at more than 1.5 times that of the Consumer Price Index.

Numerous scientific studies have identified sugar-sweetened beverages as the major contributor and the only high-risk dietary practice linked to the obesity epidemic. If passed, the SSB tax is projected to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by at least 10%, prevent at least 150,000 adults from becoming obese, and prevent 18,000 or more cases of diabetes a year.

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Let's Move!

Last month, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move campaign, a nationwide effort to end childhood obesity within a generation. Through engaging both public and private sectors, the campaign will target four key pillars: 1) helping parents make healthier family choices about food and exercise; 2) improving the quality of school food; 3) making healthy foods more affordable and accessible for families; and 4) focusing more on physical education. The overall goal is to help children become more active and eat healthier within a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight. Read more here.

Prescription for a Healthier City