Obesity Rates Continue To Rise!

The newest national obesity report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010" was recently made available to the public and indicates that obesity levels continue to increase.  While the full report is free to read, some of the major finding are briefly outlined below:

• Adult obesity rates rose in 28 states.
• 38 states have an obesity rate more than 25% with 8 of those states having obesity rates greater than 30%.
• Of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates, 10 are Southern states with Mississippi having the highest rate of obesity (33.8%).
• Adult obesity rose for a third year in a row in 11 states and for a second year in a row for 15 states.
• Obesity rates were highest in individuals with an income below $15,000/year and lowest in individuals with an income above $50,000/year, suggesting the cost of healthy foods is a barrier to healthy eating.
• Physical inactivity rose in 12 states with 6 states reporting that more than 30% of adults did not exercise.
• 8 of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity also had the lowest rates of fruit and vegetable consumption.

The report indicates that obesity reached 'epidemic proportions' in 2001, after which steps were taken nation wide to slow or prevent the increase in obesity rates.  Unfortunately, these steps were often too slow to develop and were not always well-accepted.  According to this new report, programs to prevent obesity have grown tremendously in the last couple of years and research suggests that 80% of Americans recognize obesity as a national problem.  Some of the programs being widely adopted include raising nutritional standards for school lunches and foods sold in vending machines (over 20 states), requirements for body mass index screening of children and teens (20 states), linking local farms to schools (23 states), imposing soda taxes (33 states), and improving safe access to community streets for pedestrians and bicyclists (13 states).  Hopefully, this growing obesity awareness and improved obesity education will lead to a reversal of the obesity trends being reported.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important part of living a healthy, active lifestyle.  My easy diet plan is a delicious way to manage your weight and eating habits.  Visit us to learn more!