Look no further than your grocery store shelves, fast-food restaurant menus and vending machines to know the reasons behind the obesity epidemic, says a nationally recognized expert on childhood obesity. But the solutions to this national epidemic are not as easy to come by, said Ameena Batada of the Nutrition Policy Department at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Batada, a child health project manager for the health advocacy organization that specializes in food and nutrition, spoke before 200 school and nutrition professionals on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the county’s first ever Be Fit Nutrition Summit at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

The half-day conference, planned by Westchester County’s Health Department, explored some of the solutions to the obesity epidemic. It was sponsored by Pomco, the countys' health insurance provider, and Bronx Westchester Area Heath Education Center. 

This conference is a natural extension of what we have been doing as a county to fight the obesity epidemic,’’ said County Executive Andy Spano, who opened the program.  “From providing more recreational opportunities to educating the public on the dangers of transfats, Westchester has taken the lead on this issue.

Today’s conference provides an opportunity to share with the community what we and what others have done to deal with one of America’s most pressing health problems.’’

The conference was named after the Be Fit Westchester initiative began by Spano in 2004.

Since Be Fit Westchester began, the county has offered the public a number of programs to encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity, including a twice weekly walks at the Westchester mall, the Be Fit Mobile traveling fitness van, the building of more recreational fields and a voluntary trans-fat elimination program in cooperation with restaurants. 

The county has also made changes in its own house, putting healthier snack choices in vending machines and starting a very successful employee walking program called Walking Works.

Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Lipsman, who has advocated for food labeling and a ban on transfats, said that many people fail to make the connection between being overweight and serious chronic health diseases.

“Overweight and obesity can have serious health consequences,” said Dr. Lipsman. “These include an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, some forms of cancer, and other chronic diseases, which can lead to early death or disability. We need the cooperation of all segments of society in addressing this issue as these health conditions have implications not only on the quality of life of our residents but also on their overall health and longevity.”

The keynote address by Batada was followed by six workshop sessions on topics ranging from how to promote healthful eating in Westchester to legislative changes to combat obesity being debated in Albany. That workshop session was conducted by Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, who has been a longtime advocate for new laws to improve nutritional choices for young people.

For more information, please contact the Westchester County Health Department at (914) 813-5000 or visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com/fitness.