Relates to food and food product advertising

• Democratic32

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Zellnor Myrie says this is needed

Currently, obesity and related comorbidities are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Obesity is closely linked with impaired immune function, decreased lung capacity, and increased risk of severe illness, all of which make individuals more vulnerable as we continue managing the onslaught of Coronavirus. Unfor- tunately, the obesity epidemic continues to grow exponentially, espe- cially among children. Nearly one-third of New York's children are obese or overweight. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Lancet Medical Journal jointly formed a commission that found exploitative marketing practices as one of the most serious threats to our children's future. In the United States, children see roughly three to five fast food advertisements per day. Children are particularly susceptible to these tactics because they are still forming their personal preferences and habits, and they do not yet possess the ability to detect ulterior motives. Furthermore, children are less likely to practice restraint and can easily become addicted to the immediate satisfaction junk food provides. Like many comorbidities, obesity also disproportionately affects commu- nities of color. The fast food industry specifically targets advertising towards disadvantaged communities with just enough money to spend on cheap fast food and little access to reliable nutrition information. Food-related companies spend almost $14 billion per year on advertising, of which 80% promote fast food, surgery drinks, candy, and other unhealthy snacks. In New York, the trends are alarming. Research shows that companies specifically target largely black and brown neighborhoods to advertise sugary products. A CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute survey found that New Yorkers living and working in lower-income neighborhoods are almost twice as likely to fall victim to predatory marketing of unhealthy foods than those in higher-income communities. Highly processed foods share similar characteristics to alcohol, narcot- ics, and other addictive substances. Research indicates that the chemi- cal composition of such foods may alter our physiology to promote over- eating and metabolic dysfunction. Like the restrictions placed on the consumption of drugs and alcohol, the legislature is morally obligated to protect the public from predatory marketing of junk food consistent with the state's efforts to curb the disastrous health outcomes associ- ated with the overconsumption of these products.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.