Contributed by William Angelos| 23 August, 2005 12:34 GMT
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Call for Common-Sense Policies
To help combat the obesity crisis, TFAH challenges the research community to focus on five major research questions to better inform policy decisions. The group also presses policymakers to act on 20 identifiable common-sense based policy actions. Among the key recommendations:
Bolstering Preventive Care: Employers, including the government, and Medicaid should provide routine obesity-risk screening and more benefits for preventative care, obesity-related disease management, and subsidizing and encouraging fitness activities.
Leveraging Change in Food Options. The federal government should leverage its clout as a major food purchaser to require a greater emphasis on nutritional value as a priority in the bidding process for food contracts, such as in contracting for cafeterias, public-assistance programs and military meals.
The government also should address public concerns over the new food pyramid and the Women, Infant and Children and food stamp programs should be adapted to focus on maximum nutrition for cost.
Smarter Community Design: Communities and government must stress smarter community design. This process should require evaluating the health impact of new buildings, as well as updating existing development and encouraging designs that promote and integrate space for physical activity. Recreational space, sidewalks, public transportation and safe staircases -- plus the inclusion of food shopping venues in new development -- are important factors to consider.
Improving School Nutrition and Physical Education: School districts should insist that minimum standards are not good enough for America's students. Maximum nutrition should be set as a top priority in the bidding process for food contracts. Also, physical education must be given greater priority in schools' curriculum.
Providing More Useful Information and Support: Federal, state, and local government should provide more accessible, uniform, and constructive information to the public, extend and fully fund community-based obesity-reduction efforts, and forge stronger partnerships with private industry to support healthier options for consumers.
Adult Obesity Rankings by State
The chart below represents the rankings (highest to lowest) for percentages of obese adults in each state, from highest to lowest. The rankings are based on averages of three years of data from 2002-2004.
1. Mississippi
2. Alabama
3. West Virginia
4. Louisiana
5. Tennessee
6 (tie). Michigan
6 (tie). Texas
6 (tie). Kentucky
9. Indiana
10. South Carolina
11. Arkansas
12. Georgia
13. Ohio
14. Oklahoma
15. Pennsylvania
16 (tie). North Carolina
16 (tie). Missouri
16 (tie). North Dakota
19. Alaska
20 (tie). Iowa
20 (tie). Nebraska
22 (tie). Kansas
22 (tie). Illinois
22 (tie). Virginia
25. Minnesota
26. South Dakota
27. Delaware
28. Wisconsin
29 (tie). Washington
29 (tie). Maryland
31. California
32 (tie). Maine
32 (tie). Nevada
34. New York
35. DC
36. Oregon
37. Idaho
38. Florida
39. New Mexico
40 (tie). New Jersey
40 (tie). Arizona
42. Wyoming
43. New Hampshire
44. Utah
45 (tie). Montana
45 (tie). Vermont
47. Connecticut
48. Rhode Island
49. Massachusetts
50. Colorado
(N/A). (Hawaii)
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