In the 1940s, almost half of all adults smoked in this country. By 2010, that percentage had been more than cut in half, thanks to public health campaigns, the reduction of smoking advertising and the banning of smoking in restaurants and many public buildings.

Today, almost two-thirds of adults in Lancaster County are overweight or obese. A third of children also are overweight or obese. Together, they total more than a quarter of a million people here.

Local health care leaders are hoping that what happened to tobacco will happen to obesity and weight issues in the coming decades.

"I have hope because there are a lot of parallels with what happened with tobacco 40, 50 years ago," said Alice Yoder, a Lancaster General Health official who is coordinator of the Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition. "The surgeon general put out a report. Things that were needed went in place. A lot of public awareness had to go on."

"I think obesity should be everybody's concern," said Steve Batchelor, director of wellness services for Ephrata Community Hospital.

Next week, more than 300 business, health care and community leaders will gather for a summit on the state of health in Lancaster County.

Berwood Yost of Franklin & Marshall College will present the results of a 2012 community health assessment, highlighting statistics on local residents' access to health care; their health behaviors; maternal and infant health; sexually transmitted diseases; substance abuse; and rates for diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Lancaster General and Ephrata Community Hospital helped fund the study, as did a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group also will hear Gretchen Van Wye of the New York City Department of Health discuss how that city has tried to reduce obesity.

And it will hear a panel, including representatives from a health care provider, an employer, an insurer and a public agency, talk about the best practices for improving a community's health.

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Local health care leaders plan obesity summit