New York City’s obesity rate among adults has skyrocketed 25 percent since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took office in 2002, city Health Department figures show.
Almost one in four New Yorkers is now considered obese, the New York Post reported.
The increase is contrary to recent positive statistics, such as the percentage of adults who drink one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day dropped to 28 percent last year from 36 percent in 2007, the Health Department’s Take Care New York 2012 report said.
The obesity epidemic is the primary reason Mr. Bloomberg issued the edict last year to limit the sizes of soda containers to 16 ounces. That policy has since been struck down in court.
“Nationwide, adult obesity rates have been going up for at least the last 30 years, and we expect a lag in changes in the adult obesity rate after a change in diet,” a department spokeswoman said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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