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Obesity Epidemic Continues to Grow
Adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007, the fourth annual report on obesity from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH). Twenty-two states experienced an increase for the second year in a row, and no state experienced a decrease. Ten of the 15 states with the highest rates of obesity are located in the South. The report also finds that rates of overweight children (ages 10 to 17) ranged from a high of 22.8 percent in Washington, D.C., to a low of 8.5 percent in Utah. Eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of overweight children were in the South. A new public opinion survey featured in the report finds 85 percent of Americans believe obesity is an epidemic. F as in Fat is released each year and contains rankings of state obesity rates and a review of federal and state government policies aimed at reducing or preventing obesity. The report was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and released this year at the Southern Obesity Summit in Little Rock, Ark. The Problem
Obesity is a public health epidemic. Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Particularly alarming is the escalation of the epidemic among children. During the past four decades, obesity rates have increased almost fivefold among children ages 6 to 11. Today, more than 33 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. That's nearly 25 million kids and teenagers. Children already are being diagnosed with conditions previously considered to be "adult" illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. Overweight and obese children also are at higher risk for a host of serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, asthma and certain types of cancer. If we don't act to reverse this alarming trend, we're in danger of raising the first generation of American children who will live sicker and die younger than the generation before them. Preventing obesity during childhood is critical, because habits that last into adulthood frequently are formed during youth. The Approach
The Foundation's goal is to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States by 2015. To do that, RWJF is working to improve children's access to healthy, nutritious foods and increase their opportunities for regular, safe and convenient physical activity, both in and out of school. Recognizing the disproportionate impact that the epidemic has on African-American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian/Pacific Islander children living in low-income communities, the Foundation places a special emphasis on reaching these children and improving their health. The Foundation funds reports like F as in Fat because they contribute to the nation's awareness of how serious the obesity epidemic is and advocate for changes to policies and to community and school environments that have the potential to improve nutrition and increase physical activity for kids. The Solutions
The TFAH report includes a number of recommendations for combating the obesity epidemic. It calls for a comprehensive approach to help individuals make healthier choices, including support from families, communities, schools, employers, the food and beverage industries, health professionals and government at all levels. Among other things, TFAH suggests: The country needs to develop a plan for combating obesity that is in proportion to the scope and depth of the problem. TFAH recommends that the federal government should develop and implement a National Strategy to Combat Obesity.
Federal, state, and local governments should develop and implement policies to make healthy choices easy choices-we need policies that make it easier for American adults and children to choose healthier foods and to engage in the recommended levels of physical activity.
Every working American should have access to a workplace wellness program-federal, state and local governments should work with private employers and insurers to make that happen.
The nation needs to escalate research on how to promote healthy choices- while public health officials have identified a number of strategies to encourage healthier decisions about nutrition and activity, much more research must be done on how to effectively promote healthier choices.
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This intel was contributed by T-Man
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May, 2012
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