|
Federal officials say obesity near
epidemic proportions Southeast Missourian ~ Monday,
September 27, 2004 By
Laura Johnston Americans
are killing themselves with their lack of physical activity and poor diet. The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the number of Americans who
are overweight or obese has reached epidemic proportions. More than 400,000
deaths in 2000 were attributable to obesity, a 33 percent rise over 1990. And
the risk of death or chronic disease rises with an increased body weight,
according to information from the U.S. surgeon general's Web site. In
Missouri, 60 percent of all adults are considered overweight or obese. That
figure jumped by 95 percent from 1990 to 2002. In 1986, the obesity rate in
Missouri was only 10 percent. "People
know what they need to do, but what we've done in society is create an
environment that's not conducive to maintaining a reasonable weight
status," said Donna Merhle, program coordinator for the Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion unit of the state Department of Health and
Senior Services. As
technology has advanced, people have become more sedentary. The increased
availability of food, particularly convenience foods and snacks, means people
are consuming more calories, getting less nutrients and adding pounds. The
solution isn't just in encouraging people to lose weight but in making
environmental and policy changes that promote a higher level of physical
activity, Mehrle said. "You
can't take a complex problem and offer a single solution to fix it," said
Ross Brownson, a professor of epidemiology at St. Louis University's School of
Public Health. "We don't know what all the answers to this are because if
we did we'd be doing them." Part
of the challenge is in making people aware of how their lifestyle affects their
health. People don't want to go to extremes to add nutritious meals and exercise
to their day's activities, said Lisa Talamini, a registered dietitian and
program development coordinator for Jenny Craig Inc. "People
who don't exercise say it's because they don't have time. But it doesn't have to
be a grueling exercise routine," she said. Simply
adding 30 minutes of exercise -- even in 10-minute spurts -- can be beneficial
to reducing weight or maintaining a steady weight. "You have to look for
ways to sneak activity into your day," Talamini said. Wearing
a pedometer, walking your children to school, or taking a family hike on the
weekends are simple changes that can bring big results, experts say. "People
need to take responsibility" for their role in helping overcome the obesity
problem in America, Brownson said. It can't just be a matter of public or
private entities working on the problem. Missouri
officials have taken the obesity epidemic seriously. The state health department
is participating in a federal program through the Centers for Disease Control
that addresses issues of nutrition and physical activity as a means of
overcoming obesity. The
state's Obesity Council, whose work is funded by the CDC, is still developing
its report, Mehrle said. A draft was presented in July for public comment. The
final work could be ready by year's end. |