...Glimmer of Hope?
From 2006 through 2008, more than 30 states saw increased rates of obesity. During the following two years, the number of states experiencing increases in obesity rates was in the 20s. This year's report showed 16 states with increasing rates of obesity."This is a small victory and does not mean we can ease off the gas pedal," said James Marks, MD, MPH, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J., during a teleconference.
This trend may be due to local, state, and federal efforts aimed at making communities more walkable as well as increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables....
Indiana University Health Obesity Prevention Program's Laura McCarthy says the fight against obesity starts at the grassroots level....
Illinois finds a great opportunity in these facts. That is the USA I understand.
...“It’s a great opportunity (click here) for Indiana University Health and other groups in the state to really fight in the attack on obesity. There will be lots of opportunities for community work,” McCarthy said.
Some of the easiest ways to combat obesity are things that people can begin doing today McCarthy said.
“Some of the main things are increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and getting more physical activity,” said McCarthy.
Colorado has the smallest percentage of obese residents at 19.8 percent, which would have been the nation's highest in 1995.
Below is an interactive from Robert Wood Johnson that spans over 25 years of recording obesity trends in the USA. The 'Obesity Trend' never reverses in any state which is really interesting. It begins in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. These states are probably, and this is just a guess, the 'test grounds' of new product advertising to see what will work on the rest of the country. The reason advertising exists is because it works. The reason the trend starts in those states is because they are among the poorest states in the nation and it is easy to provide an incentive to citizens, local authorities such as mayor and councils and even state legislators to provide that 'population' for testing. That is just my estimation, not research.
National Map View
The data shown were collected through the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Each year, state health departments use standard procedures to collect data through a series of monthly telephone interviews with U.S. adults. Prevalence estimates shown may vary slightly from those generated for the states by the BRFSS as slightly different analytic methods are used.
Also from Robert Wood Johnson. I applaud them for their dedication to making the USA a healthier nation.
Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., Thomas Farley, M.D., M.P.H., Walter C. Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Frank J. Chaloupka, Ph.D., Joseph W. Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., and David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2009; 361:1599-1605
The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to risks for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease1-3; therefore, a compelling case can be made for the need for reduced consumption of these beverages. Sugar-sweetened beverages are beverages that contain added, naturally derived caloric sweeteners such as sucrose (table sugar), high-fructose corn syrup, or fruit-juice concentrates, all of which have similar metabolic effects.
Taxation has been proposed as a means of reducing the intake of these beverages and thereby lowering health care costs, as well as a means of generating revenue that governments can use for health programs.4-7 Currently, 33 states have sales taxes on soft drinks (mean tax rate, 5.2%), but the taxes are too small to affect consumption and the revenues are not earmarked for programs related to health. This article examines trends in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, evidence linking these beverages to adverse health outcomes, and approaches to designing a tax system that could promote good nutrition and help the nation recover health care costs associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages....
When did obesity start to increase so sharply in this country? How prevalent is it today? Click "animate" to view the yearly progression, or select an individual year. Clicking on any state will take you to full details for that state.
