OBESITY RISES IN 31 STATES: It'Ll Take a Comprehensive Approach -- Involving Neighborhoods, Schools,

Aug 28, 03:01 AM

Current Headlines: By Karen Shideler, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.

Aug. 28--Americans are fat and getting fatter, says a report released Monday that shows the obesity rate rose in 31 states in the past year and decreased in none. Kansas dropped a spot in the list of heaviest states, but only because its increase in the number of overweight people was less than the increase in other states -- the statistical equivalent of gaining 10 pounds while a neighbor gained 12.

"F Is for Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2007" isn't a look at what may be to blame for growing waistlines.

Instead, it is a call for a comprehensive approach to dealing with excess weight, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Its recommendations include workplace wellness programs, more readily available nutrition information in restaurants, healthier school lunches and neighborhoods that encourage physical activity.

The report actually may be understating the problem: The survey it's based on relies on individuals' reports of their weight and height. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost two-thirds of Americans are overweight, with almost a third of them qualifying as obese.

The report comes from Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health research and advocacy organization. By phone Monday, executive director Jeff Levi said promising efforts have been initiated, but he said a plan involving every federal agency, state, city, private industry and community group is needed.

Just as reducing smoking took years of effort at every level, Levi said, fighting obesity will, too.

State and local efforts are under way, said James Early, a Wichita prevention and wellness expert who is medical director of Solutions for Life.

He said efforts like the Governor's Council on Fitness, revamped food policies in Wichita public schools, physicians' focus on chronic diseases, and wellness initiatives at Via Christi Regional Medical Center are among the efforts that will pay off, though maybe not for years.

Sonja Armbruster of the Sedgwick County Health Department will help lead a workplace wellness conference for businesses today. Businesses that have promoted health, nutrition and stress reduction have seen their health costs go down, she said.

"Making the change starts with the individual and the environment," she said.

Vicki Hoffman, director of nutritional services for Wichita public schools, said the district has made a number of changes in the past year and a half, such as using reduced-fat cheese in sandwiches, incorporating one-minute activity breaks in the classroom, and starting a "walking school bus" program that encourages children to walk to school together along designated routes accompanied by an adult.

But, she said, schools can't act in a vacuum -- they must work with families, and families must work with schools.

Levi said obesity is at least somewhat correlated with poverty, and Early noted that healthy eating often is affected by money: People know they should eat fresh fruits and vegetables, he said, but they are expensive, especially out of season; likewise, the cost of milk has gone up significantly.

Why does obesity matter? Because, Levi said, poor nutrition and physical inactivity have a number of effects:

--They mean today's children are likely to be the first generation to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents.

--They increase the cost of health care, for individuals and for businesses.

--They increase Americans' risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

--They are associated with lower productivity and higher workers' compensation claims.

The report says Kansas is the 27th fattest state; last year it ranked 26th. More people in Kansas are overweight now than last year, but the increase was not as large as in some other states. For the second year, Mississippi is the fattest state and Colorado the leanest.

More than 60 percent of Kansans are overweight, the report says, and almost one-fourth of them are obese, meaning they have a body mass index of more than 30. BMI is a calculation of weight and height; an adult with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered at a healthy weight.

Nationally, rates of adult obesity now exceed 25 percent in 19 states, an increase from 14 states last year and nine in 2005. In 1991, none of the states exceeded 20 percent.

The numbers are based on data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Trust for America's Health also has reported on the nation's and states' pandemic flu and bioterrorism preparedness. Among the foundations and organizations that help fund the organization are the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Kansas Health Foundation.

Reach Karen Shideler at 316-268-6674 or kshideler@wichitaeagle.com [mailto:kshideler@wichitaeagle.com].

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