New York City: No scientific connection between weight, health

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Friday claimed that science shows no connection between weight and health.

Adams made the remarks after signing a bill prohibiting discrimination based on height and weight for employment, housing and public accommodations.

“Everyone knows that I’m a person that believes in health, so when you talk about not discriminating against someone because of their body type, it’s not fighting against obesity; it’s just being fair,” said Adams, adding that “science has shown that body type is not a connection to if you are healthy or unhealthy. I think that’s a misnomer.”

But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity increases the risk of all-cause mortality, among many other illnesses:

People who have overweight or obesity, compared to those with healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions. These include:

• All-causes of death (mortality).
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia).
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Coronary heart disease.
• Stroke.
• Gallbladder disease.
• Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint).
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems.
• Many types of cancer.
• Low quality of life.
• Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.
• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning.

In 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a press release entitled, “Obesity causes cancer and is major determinant of disability and death, warns new WHO report.” The missive warned “[o]besity might overtake smoking as the main risk for preventable cancer.”

Conversely, those who are underweight are also at risk for certain diseases such as anemia, vitamin deficiencies and a weakened immune system.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Adams has raised eyebrows with his interpretation of science.

In March 2022, Adams lifted the city’s mask mandate for everyone except children under five, who were least at risk for COVID-19. It took three more months before Adams allowed toddlers to go through the day mask-free.

The mayor also maintained a vaccine mandate for athletes even after it was lifted for the public. Adams’ rules allowed Brooklyn Nets All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to sit among fans in the stands but not to play on the court. Irving triggered a $50,000 fine simply by entering his team’s locker room while unvaccinated.

Last month, Adams vowed to reduce meat consumption in the name of health and “climate change”. He has already made plant-based meals the default option for patients in the Health + Hospitals network, and Adams’ office says it is on track to distribute 850,000 plant-based meals to patients in 2023.

New York City also became subject to new food standards last year which place a cap on the amount of meat that can be served by municipal agencies and a minimum quota for plant-based foods. The rules also state that processed meats must be phased out by 2025.