Katz, who also specializes in preventive and lifestyle medicine, explained that the easy access Americans have to junk food plays a significant role in weight gain and poor nourishment.

“This is a pandemic,” said Katz, “500,000 people die prematurely in this country because there’s a whole lot of junk food where food ought to be. Giant food companies have infiltrated new markets and propagated them while making a fortune doing it and killing people in the process.

Katz founded the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in 1998 which works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help stabilize and prevent chronic diseases within communities. Katz has also authored many public health publications and created several health initiatives with the purpose of tackling lifestyles, dietary plans and healthier food practices.

In his presentation, Katz discussed the excessive amounts of calories that the average American child consumes and the reasons behind it.

“All the major food companies have highly paid scientists that figure out how to get young people hooked on stuff they cannot stop eating,” said Katz. “Pretty much guaranteeing that you wouldn’t stop eating the stuff they made until your arm got tired from lifting it into your mouth.”

To conclude the presentation, Katz discussed the role science plays in people’s health and nutrition.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge that science had been somewhat weaponized,” he said. “If we’re going to synthesize science, we have to synthesize the right science.”

To learn more about Katz and his public health initiatives visit www.davidkatzmd.com