PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sylvia Serene, Public Health Advocate from IPHN
2:25:44
·
111 sec
Sylvia Serene, a Bangladeshi community public health advocate from IPHN, offers strong support for Intro 641, which requires better nutrition standards for kids' meals in NYC restaurants. She emphasizes the growing concern of hypertension among youth and its implications for health equity.
- Highlights the increasing prevalence of hypertension among young people, especially in Hispanic and non-Hispanic black children
- Stresses the importance of preventing risk factors, particularly child and youth overweight and obesity
- Argues that Intro 641 can help by providing healthier choices for families dining out, including limits on total sodium
Sylvia Serene
2:25:44
Good afternoon.
2:25:45
My name is Sylvia Serene, and I live in Ozan Park, Queens.
2:25:49
I'm a Bangladeshi community public health advocate and a consultant and volunteer with IPHN.
2:25:54
From October 2022 to June 2024, I worked for the American Heart Association where I served as the project coordinator on the National hypertension control initiative project.
2:26:04
It is those experiences which lead me today to offer my strong support of intro 641, requiring better nutrition standards for restaurants, kids meal in New York City.
2:26:16
As you have heard today, hypertension or high blood pressure is a very serious concern and driver of premature mortality including deaths from heart disease and stroke.
2:26:26
Like type 2 diabetes, hypertension was once considered as an adult onset problem.
2:26:32
Sadly, it is now far too common among young people.
2:26:36
In fact, the CDC has reported that 1 in 25 American youth aged 12 to 19 have hypertension with 1 to 10 having elevated blood pressure.
2:26:46
Youth with high blood pressure levels in childhood are more likely to have persistent hypertension as an adult.
2:26:53
Furthermore, the prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among Hispanic and non Hispanic black children compared with non Hispanic white children, making this a health equity issue.
2:27:04
To reserve these trends, we will need to do a much better job of preventing risk factors, especially child and youth overweight and obesity.
2:27:12
This must include encouraging healthier restaurant offerings, not only to mitigate child and youth overweight and obesity, but to steer young people away from high so high sodium diets.
2:27:25
Intro 641 can assist in that regard by giving families healthier choices when they dine out, including limits on total sodium.
2:27:34
Thank you for your time and consideration.
