Cheese Billboards Highlight Obesity Risk

Two new PCRM billboards in New York State warn that eating cheese poses a health risk and contributes to America’s high obesity rates.

The billboards are located in Albany, N.Y. More than 59 percent of New York State’s residents are either overweight or obese. In Albany County, nearly 63 percent of adult residents are overweight or obese. New York is also one of the nation’s largest producers of dairy products.

“Typical cheeses are 70 percent fat,” Dr. Barnard says. “And the type of fat they hold is mainly saturated fat—the kind that increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Cheese is also loaded with cholesterol and sodium. Americans eat more than 33 pounds of cheese per person per year—three times more than they did in 1970—and our country is more obese than ever.”

One-fourth of an average 12-inch cheese pizza contains nearly 13 grams of fat, including 6 grams of saturated fat and 27 milligrams of cholesterol. An ounce of cheddar contains 9 grams of fat, including 6 grams of saturated fat. Part-skim versions of cheeses are not much better, with just slightly lower amounts of fat.

About one-third of adults and 12.5 million children and adolescents are obese. And obesity is a major cause of death, attributable to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To learn more about the dangers of cheese and other dairy products, visit PCRM.org/Health.