Thomas Farley, MD, MPH presented as the Keynote Speaker at ObesityWeek 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Farley is Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Under his leadership, the agency is addressing the social and environmental factors underlying the leading causes of death and disability, including smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, heart disease and diabetes. He has developed innovative strategies to fight obesity and create a healthier food environment, including aggressive counter-advertising to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, proposing a demonstration project to remove sugar-sweetened beverages from allowable SNAP purchases, and capping the maximum size of sugar-sweetened beverages sold at food service establishments at 16 ounces. The Health Department has established Green Carts, an initiative to help low-income neighborhoods buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and mandated calorie labeling at chain restaurants. Dr. Farley is trained as a pediatrician and served in the Centers for Disease Control's Epidemic Intelligence Service. He is coauthor of Prescription for a Healthy Nation: A New Approach to Improving Our Lives by Fixing our Everyday World.