Huntington doc on mission to fight obesity

Dr. Gary Trager considers himself a small-business person. His business is keeping people healthy, and preventing them from becoming obese. Trager, founder and director of the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Huntington, will now have a broader mandate: He has been elected president of the Lower New York Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, which covers Long Island, New York City, Westchester and Rockland counties.

Trager said he intends to educate other doctors on the dangers of obesity so they can pass the information to their patients. As for the workplace, Trager said, doctors have their work cut out for them.

"When people are overweight they're tired all of the time," Trager said. "Their production is not what it should be. They're very often saying, 'I'm so tired I can't wait for the day to end.' "

Companies have weight-reduction and exercise programs, but they are voluntary. Such programs are mandatory in some other countries.

"We'll never get that here," Trager said. "Not with the American Civil Liberties Union we won't."