Y. Claire Wang

Y. Claire Wang is an associate professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Her research focuses on obesity prevention strategies and techniques, such as soda taxes, and how effective they may be in reducing the economic costs of obesity.

Y. Claire Wang
Alma materNational Taiwan University, Harvard School of Public Health
Scientific career
FieldsEpidemiology, Obesity prevention
InstitutionsColumbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Research

Wang's research focuses on trends in consumption of unhealthy foods, as well as energy balance, and the role of both these factors in the etiology of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Some of her research has concluded that the New York City soft drink size limit would primarily target overweight and obese children and young adults,[1][2][3] as well as that children need to reduce their daily calorie intake by 64 calories in order to achieve federal goals for reducing obesity rates[4][5][6] Another study authored by Wang concluded that the number of obese adults in 2030 is anticipated to be about 65 million higher than it was in 2011 when this study was published. When these predictions appeared in the Lancet, Wang and her coauthors wrote that "we hope that our dire predictions will serve to mobilise efforts to reduce obesity so that our predictions do not become reality."[7][8]

Sugar-sweetened beverages

Wang presented a report to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2010, which concluded that a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages "could potentially prevent ~37,400 diabetes cases within the next decade, saving approximately $1.2 billion dollars in medical costs."[9] In addition, one of her studies argued that such a tax on SSBs would raise about $1 billion per year.[10] She also helped develop the Caloric Calculator, with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which calculates the public health impacts of various obesity prevention strategies, including physical education programs and the decreased use of time by watching TV or playing video games.[11] In January 2012, Wang and her colleagues published a study concluding that a penny-per-ounce soda tax would prevent about 2,600 deaths per year.[12] This study was widely reported on in the media.[13][14][15]

References
  1. Wang, Y. C.; Vine, S. M. (2013). "Caloric effect of a 16-ounce (473-mL) portion-size cap on sugar-sweetened beverages served in restaurants". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 98 (2): 430–5. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.054833. PMID 23761485.
  2. Pittman, Genevra (12 June 2013). "Soda ban would target heavy youth, not poor: study". Yahoo News. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  3. "NYC cap on soda size affects the overweight, not poor". United Press International. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  4. Wang, Y. C.; Orleans, C. T.; Gortmaker, S. L. (2012). "Reaching the Healthy People Goals for Reducing Childhood Obesity". American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 42 (5): 437–444. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.01.018. PMID 22516482.
  5. Empower Editors (18 April 2012). "64 Calories Per Day: The Number That Could Prevent Childhood Obesity". Empower Magazine. Retrieved 3 September 2013. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  6. Rochman, Bonnie (10 April 2012). "64 Calories a Day: What Kids Need to Cut to Reverse the Obesity Trend". Time. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  7. Wang, Y Claire; McPherson, Klim; Marsh, Tim; Gortmaker, Steven L; Brown, Martin (August 2011). "Health and economic burden of the projected obesity trends in the USA and the UK". The Lancet. 378 (9793): 815–825. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60814-3. PMID 21872750. S2CID 44240421.
  8. Blazek, Nicole (26 August 2011). "Half of Americans expected to be obese in 2030". Clinical Advisor. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  9. Wang, Y. Claire (2010). "The Potential Impact of Sugar‐Sweetened Beverage Taxes inNew York State" (PDF). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  10. Bonar, Samantha (9 April 2012). "Majority of Californians Support Soda Tax". LA Weekly. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  11. "Y. Claire Wang". Columbia University. 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  12. Wang, Y. C.; Coxson, P.; Shen, Y. -M.; Goldman, L.; Bibbins-Domingo, K. (2012). "A Penny-Per-Ounce Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Would Cut Health and Cost Burdens of Diabetes". Health Affairs. 31 (1): 199–207. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0410. PMID 22232111.
  13. Kaplan, Karen (10 January 2012). "Soda tax could prevent 26,000 premature deaths, study finds". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  14. Fox, Maggie (10 January 2012). "Soda tax could save 26,000 lives, study projects". National Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  15. Aubrey, Allison (12 January 2012). "Could A Soda Tax Prevent 2,600 Deaths Per Year?". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
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