Grades are in and we got an F – Like in Grease
The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have just released their annual report, F as in Fat: How obesity policies are failing in America and once again we have failed to make the grade.
The report shows that in the past year adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state. In addition, the report shows that the percentage of children who are obese or overweight is equal to or greater than 30 percent in 30 states.
For the third year in a row, North Carolina has moved up the charts and now has the 12th highest rate of adult obesity in the country at 28.3%. Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent, making this the fifth consecutive year the state has topped the list. Four states now have rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, Alabama (31.2 percent), West Virginia (31.1 percent) and Tennessee (30.2 percent). Colorado still has the lowest percentage of obese adults at 18.9.
In 1991, no state had an obesity rate higher than 20 percent. In 1980, the national average for adult obesity was 15 percent, and childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980. The trend is not good.
The report returns to its annual call for a National Strategy to “Fight Obesity.”
For years we have been “fighting the fat” and “fighting the bulge” and now we are “waging a war on obesity”. This strategy is obviously not working and it is not a surprise. Words like “struggle,” “combat,” and “war” naturally imply struggle, conflict, and adversity. Approaching weight loss with this attitude sets the stage for a losing battle by creating unnecessary stress and anxiety. In fact, this stress and anxiety can cause hormonal changes that actually make weight loss physiologically difficult.
Obesity is not a warning that will call on all the “willpower” we can muster to defeat. Obesity and the diseases associated with it, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many types of cancer, are side effects of unhealthy behavior. It is time for us to change our attitude and in turn our behavior.
The only way we are going to reverse this trend is to change our attitude and realize that we don’t have to live a life of struggle, deprivation, and sacrifice to make healthy choices. Instead of “fight the fat” and “fight the bulge”, “welcome welfare” Y “embrace activity”. Say no to war and love your body by feeding it nutritious, great-tasting whole foods that include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and getting plenty of physical exercise. If we all do this, the result will be a leaner, healthier, and more productive America.
