Report: Obesity Rates Continue to Climb in U.S.

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By Donald A. Donahue, Jr., DHEd, FACHE

Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011,’’ a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent. The obesity epidemic continues to be most dramatic in the South, which includes nine of the 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates. The report also details the economic and educational correlations to obesity.

See: http://ohsonline.com/articles/2011/07/11/report-obesity-rates-continue-to-climb-in-us.aspx?admgarea=news

What analysis can be offered that does not sound like a broken record (a metaphor largely lost on the digital generations)? Despite widespread acknowledgement of the cause and risk, ever-increasing healthcare and other costs (airline fuel consumption continues to rise as our national girth expands), and epidemics in diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, certain cancers, and osteoarthritis, we continue to consume diets that jeopardize our health and well-being.

The clustering of obesity in certain regions suggests the issue is as much cultural as socio-economic or educational. Traditional diets high in fried and processed foods bode poorly for long-term health. Yet, the public is not oblivious to the danger. Estimates of spending on diet products approach $100 billion annually in the US alone. The cost of conditions related to obesity consume one-tenth of the US healthcare budget.

We do ourselves a disservice when we seek “silver bullet” remedies. There is no substitute for limiting caloric intake, maintaining a balanced diet, and increasing our physical activity. Quick fixes, fad diets, and other shortcuts simply do not work. Even fast food, which has traditionally been blamed as a primary cause of obesity, must be viewed through the lens of objectivity: there are 90 meals in a month, how many of those are fast food and is that the primary driver of your weight?

Absent a commitment to better eating and proper exercise, the health ills of obesity will eventually bring down many citizens, the health system, and significant parts of the economy. These ravages are preventable, but only if they are acknowledged and their causes honored.

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Report: Obesity Rates Continue to Climb in U.S.

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