Skip to search box Skip to main content
Text Only Version

Healthy Habit Examples Banner

Obesity Prevention Pocket Card English

Obesity Prevention Pocket Card Spanish

Community Resources for Obesity Prevention

Resources for Health Care Providers


Obesity is a condition where a person has too much body fat. Being obese can increase a person’s chances for many diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke.1 You can find out more about how obesity can harm your health at What are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity. However, obesity can be prevented through healthy habits- eating a healthy, low calorie diet, doing physical activity regularly, reducing time spent watching TV or on the computer, reducing stress, and sleeping more.

Overweight and obesity are major health problems in both New York State, and Suffolk County. Obesity and overweight are the second most common cause of death in New York State. As of 2014, approximately 60% of adults in New York were considered overweight or obese and approximately 64% of adults were overweight or obese in Suffolk County between 2013-20142.

How do you know if you are overweight or obese? Healthcare providers use a measurement that compares your height and weight to calculate BMI (Body Mass Index). A person is considered overweight if their BMI is equal to or over 25 and they are considered obese if their BMI is over 30.

You can take control of your own health- you can combat obesity! Take a look at resources for improving your diet, increasing physical activity, and reducing your stress. Don’t forget to check out the Long Island Health Collaborative to learn about health activities taking place locally.


Resources for Health Care Providers

Suffolk County Department of Health Services in Collaboration with Northport VA Medical Center

Obesity Prevention Workshop for Health Care Professionals

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), along with the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC), has adopted an ambitious plan to address obesity in children and adults in Suffolk County. This plan, part of the Suffolk County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), was created in collaboration with community agencies, and based on priorities determined by the newly established LIHC, a collaborative of local hospitals and the Health Departments of Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC); the prevalence of obesity has risen drastically over several decades1. Obesity2 is related to the development of Type II diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. The medical cost of obesity in the U.S. is estimated at $147 billion 2008 US dollars annually1.

There is clear evidence that overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of developing the following cancers: post-menopausal breast, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic, and kidney. There is probable evidence of an association with gallbladder cancer. There is also a possible link to liver, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, cervical, ovarian, and aggressive prostate cancers 3.

One of the objectives contained in the CHIP is to develop and present workshops for allied health professionals on obesity screening, prevention and referrals. In collaboration with the Northport VA Medical Center, a program on obesity prevention has been developed for health care professionals in Suffolk County. The program is designed to provide attendees with:

  • Recommendations and guidelines on obesity prevention of professional health care organizations, such as the US Preventive Services Task Force;
  • Examples of successful obesity prevention initiatives that have been implemented in various health care settings;
  • Evidence-based motivational interviewing techniques to encourage behavior changes in patients;
  • Local resources for healthy, active, living in Suffolk County

If you are a nurse, nurse practitioner or physician and would like to attend an obesity prevention workshop,

please call
(631) 854-0087
or email
 amy.juchatz@suffolkcountyny.gov.
  • 1 http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
  • 2 Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0kg/m2; overweight is 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2
  • 3 Kushi, et al. "American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention" CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 2012.

Suffolk County Government

H. Lee Dennison Bldg

100 Veterans Memorial Hwy
P.O. Box 6100
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Riverhead County Center

County Road 51
Riverhead, NY 11901