Report: Obesity Rates Up in Most States (i.e. All Except Oregon)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

Obesity rates rose last year in every state but Oregon, according to an advocacy group that called on the government and the private sector to get more involved in Americans' battle with expanding waistlines.

<...>

An official with the Trust for America's Health said the United States is stuck in a "debate limbo" about how the government should confront obesity. She used the report to call for more government action on several fronts, such as ensuring that land use plans promote physical activity; that school lunch programs serve healthier meals; and that Medicaid recipients get access to subsidized fitness programs, such as aerobics classes at the local YMCA.

"We have a crisis of poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the U.S., and it's time we dealt with it," said Shelley A. Hearne, executive director of the organization.

Radley Balko, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, said he is wary of the call for more government action on obesity. The institute is a think tank that prefers free-market approaches to problems.

"I think obesity is a very personal issue. What you eat and how often you exercise, if that comes within the government's purview, it's difficult to think of what's left that isn't," Balko said.

<...>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050823/ap_on_he_me/obesity_state_rankings

DTH

[kenny blankenship]

1. Go go Guzzlers!

the fatter you get the better I look!

[AngryAmish]

2. Maybe with gas prices so high folks might walk more

Lets check the stats next year.

[spinbaby]

37. Walk where?

Many of us live in unwalkable communties where you take your life in your hands if you try to walk anywhere.

[KansDem]

3. Check out the "red" vs "blue" states...

The report said the states with the highest percentage of obese adults are Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee.

The states with the lowest percentage of obese adults are Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Montana. Hawaii was not included in the report.

But then, we liberals are soooooo "elitist," and want only to tell other people how to live. :eyes:

[Ian David]

4. I guess Crystal Meth causes obesity, and sipping lattes keeps you thin n/t

[meganmonkey]

6. There is a LOT of meth in Oregon though

That was the first place I saw whole tweaker families, in the mid-90's - i think in Grants Pass, OR. It was gross.
:scared:

[Ian David]

10. Maybe it's the high altitude? n/t

[Arugula Latte]

15. I read that we are the number one overweight western state,

so maybe there wasn't much more weight we could gain here. :shrug:

[MissB]

24. That must be it.

Seriously.

[eric_schafer]

30. not to mention Portland

is the #1 consumer of Ice Cream in the nation:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0629/p16s01-lifo.html

Me = guilty as charged!

[phusion]

26. I've renamed our state - New Methico

I think it's a huge problem across the country, esp. in poor areas.

[enlightenment]

5. Interesting, though one might want

to compare median income levels in these states. I suspect there could be some correlation between lower income and higher rates of obesity.

[calico1]

7. True.

How popular is jogging in the South? Not that I am saying all us Northerners are fit, but is it as common there? Also, isn't deep frying a popular method of cooking things? I fry chicken once in a blue moon but for the most part I do not eat any fried stuff.

[enlightenment]

12. IMO, willingness vs ability to exercise is influenced

by climate to some degree. I live in the desert SW -- and it is so hot and nasty here that all the joggers I know (I prefer other exercise forms) do their running before the sun comes up. Add high humidity to the mix, as in the deep South, and it's easy to imagine someone saying "not happening" when it comes to jogging. ick.

I'm not sure I would tie fried food just to the South; sure, it happens, but other areas of the country love to dunk it in grease, too!

I think it really is an issue of price. Fresh, healthy foods cost more than processed, prepackaged food -- which is really counter-intuitive, but true.

on edit: can't spell!

[calico1]

17. I understand that but not everyone

in the South lives in poverty. And there is poverty in the blue states too. I am trying to figure out why the discrepancies in blue vs. red states (for the most part since there are exeptions on both sides).

[depakid]

38. The typical Southern diet is high in fat and calories

Just the opposite form what you'd want, especially in that climate. The South also has much lower educational levels- which correllate with socioeconomic status- buit which also render one much more prone to the junk food industry's psychological marketing.

Try finding vegetarian fare in the South or lower midwest- it's a challenge, to say the least- whereas it's relatively easy- and enjoys some level of status (or "hippness) in Oregon.

[LSU_Subversive]

41. thanks to heat & humidity chafing is an awful side-effect of running here.

i'd also add buffets to our set of culprits, though, because they seem especially popular in these parts.

and, yes, fresh and healthy foods are much more expensive and typically more time-consuming to prepare. if you're exhausting yourself working long hours just to get by and you have to come home and take care of family, you'll be naturally less likely to spend the time preparing a healthy meal for your family.

[AllieB]

8. That's a good point, enlightenment

Good, fresh food is very expensive compared to high-carb foods like pasta, rice, ramen noodles, and bread. The real cause of obesity in this country, as well as diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, can be traced to consumption of trans fats and refined foods. Unfortunately, these are the least expensive foods, and often times the easiest to prepare.

[KansDem]

9. True. It's unfortunate that the healthier the food, the more costly...

...the bill. I never amazes me that processed food, with all its additives (high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings and favorings, preservatives, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and a few more "...cides"), or the current line of artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, aspartame), and other inclusions with equally unpronounceable names, should cost the least, whereas, organically grown natural food is more expensive (I know, I know, it has to do with economics, but still...).

It's all a matter of choice and unfortunately sacrifice. Maybe we just have to forgo the cable and satellite services and use the money saved to stretch the food budget.

I also wonder if "blue staters" just happen to read food labels more often than "red staters." After all, isn't it considered treasonous to question Corporate America in red states?

[calico1]

13. I think another factor is the lost art of

scratch cooking for many people. Both my parents worked yet we hardly ever ate any processed or convenience foods. How many people cook from scratch today? Plus, how many schools teach home ec these days? Is that even taught anymore? We have many kids (and adults) who know absoutely nothing about nutrition. You do not have to pay a fortune to eat well (I don't). But you have to be willing to do a lot of cooking yourself and know what you are eating. I am amazed at the lack of knowledge so many people have regarding simple nutrition. A 35 year old coworker was considering going on the South Beach diet a while back. She asked me to explain the difference between a carb and a protein because she was having a hard time distinguishing between the two.

[imperialismispasse]

14. Aren't we already forgoing the cable to stretch the gas budget?

[KansDem]

18. That may be true. Particularly this winter ('05-'06).

But a lot of it has to do with priorities. 20 years ago I tried selling encyclopedias. I would go to people's houses and apartments who had expressed an interest in owning an encyclopedia (usually their kids had advanced to a grade that required some aspect of research). I would go into these homes and see they had the latest of everything (big TV, sound system, VCR, cable, movie box, etc). Outside would be parked nice cars or trucks. But many of these customers would balk at the monthly price of a set of encyclopedias, which wasn't all together that much!

I left many a sales pitch baffled as to why people wanted the best and latest of anything that brought them recreation, amusement, entertainment, but stopped short most of the time when it came to personal education and enrichment.

"Instant gratification" vs "delayed gratification" I guess...:(

I only "sold" encyclopedias for a few months...I couldn't develop the "barracuda" attitude. It was one of my many alternative careers...

[imperialismispasse]

19. I agree some people's priorities are screwed up.

But in this economy, it may not be a matter of either/or. It might be neither. A lot of people are really broke and I think it's only going to get worse.

[Mountainman]

11. I think you are right. It use to be the other way.

I read somewhere a while ago that poor people use to be in better shape because they worked in agriculture and ate a more natural diet of fruits and vegetables since they could not afford meat.
Wealthier folks could afford to eat in restaurants and at home had fat ladened meals prepared for them. The got gout and other diseases.

Now that has changed around 180 degrees. Poor people are eating fast food and get little exercise and the wealth eat better since learning of the health risks of their past habits and they exercise more.

[Pharlo]

47. Actually, farmers I am familiar with always have meat...

they don't need to be able to 'afford' it. They go out back and butcher it - beef, pork, chicken. They also have a tendency to raise large gardens. Foods are generally prepared from scratch, they know where it came from, what was put on it, etc.

In fact, I don't know any traditional milk farmers who don't consider meats and breads a staple at every meal. They stay thin by working their asses off.

I think other factors which affect weight are:

- The loss of manufacturing jobs for service, retail, and desk bound jobs is making an impact. Example: an individual spends 20 to 32 hours a week doing some form of clerical work and subsidizes this with 10 to 15 hours at a fast food restaurant and another 10 to 20 hours a week bartending, telemarketing, or working at a convenience store. Now, this individual has to find time to spend with their family, as well as cook, clean, and chauffer the family. Even if this individual had an available swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court and golf course, I don't think they'd use it. I wouldn't. And the probablity of anyone working these jobs having free access to such facilities is extremely low.

- Fashionable diets themselves help foster the weight problem for many people. Yoyo dieting is an acknowledged factor for long term weight gain. One, or many, diets does not help. It's a quick fix which eventually does more damage than good. What is needed is a life style change, not a diet. And until more people realize that, the Yoyo diet syndrome is going to remain a factor in the problem of long term weight gain.

- And, let's not forget the US governments ever changing 'Food Pyramid' - I think it's an inverted triangle this month.

- The only way to overcome this as an issue is to begin teaching children. They can start by reviewing their lunch programs. All schools need to stop allowing fat filled pre-packaged foods and beverages (ie. Frito Lays and Coke or Pepsi) to be sold in vending machines. And there needs to be an overhaul of school lunch programs - particularly the ones which are supplied by fast food franchises.

[NYC]

42. A nutrition doctor correlated obesity and zip code.

He said zip code (poverty) was possibly the single most useful indicator of obesity. I'm sorry I can't remember his name.

[TahitiNut]

16. I think the highest correlation would be with a penchant to be active.

Folks focus on food or (God forbid) intelligence as being most associated with obesity, but based on my many years living all over the US, I'd say it's the cultural bias toward physical activity during leisure hours. I grew up in a family with a blue-collar grandfather who was heard more than once saying "all that effort and they're not getting anything done!" A Norwegian immigrant who was self-taught (only had a 4th grade education), my grandfather was the prototype for a "work ethic." Sports were not high profile for his five depression-era kids.

In the communities I've lived, those with the most biking/hiking trails, rollerblade parks, tennis courts, swimming pools, volleyball courts, and other venues for physical activity have had the lowest apparent rates of obesity. Even the number of public golf courses seem higher where obesity is lower. It has appeared to me that food and dietary choices came in second. To some extent, one merely need look at the cities. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York City, and Boston are all pedestrian cities with thousands of folks walking the sidewalks every day and every evening. They're mostly cities with public transit used by all income levels, whether it's BART, cable cars, or a subway. Detroit, on the other hand, is a ghost town. In cities in the South, folks seek out air conditioning and the sidewalks go largely unused. Outside the French Quarter, New Orleans is mostly ride-around. Houston? Ride or die. Phoenix seems to be an anomaly, with heavily-used golf courses and green spaces. Bicycling is very popular, as is swimming. Swimming pools are all over.

[calico1]

20. So I would think that in bigger cities

like Dallas, Houston, etc. the rate of obesity would be lower? Anyone know if this is true? I know from having lived in NYC that walking is built in to your everyday life--like it or not! You have to walk to get around the city even with the subways and buses. I would think that in areas where you have to walk to get around you'd be in better shape than if you live in a suburb and can drive to wherever you have to go and not have to walk much once you get out of your car. I know that now that I live in a suburb I have to make myself be active whereas when I lived in the big city I didn't purposely exericse but I did so much walking everyday that I didn't have to.

[maxsolomon]

22. you haven't been paying attention

Houston has the highest obesity rate of any major city in America.

Factors:
Auto-Dependent Sprawl
Poor Public Transportation
Heat
Humidity
Poverty
Poor Education
Conservatism

If you live in NYC, you live in a ACTUAL city, and have no clue as to what the majority of America looks like. There are NO SIDEWALKS, and riding a bike shows you have a DEATH WISH.

[imperialismispasse]

25. I wonder if it's different for east coast cities vs other places

New York, Boston, Philly (where I live)-they are all built with everything close together and sort of on top of each other. Parking is impossible and driving is stressful. They're older cities so maybe that's why they're built like that. Houston sounds totally different from Philly. I know that when I leave the city I am always shocked at how much heavier people are. You don't see too many really obese people in downtown Philly.

[calico1]

28. That is kind of what I was trying to say.

Just didn't come out as clear as your statement. I was also wondering if bigger, more urban areas in the South had less obesity but it doesn't look that way. I agree about Boston and NY. You exercise like it or not!

[imperialismispasse]

29. From what I hear about Houston

You are forced to drive everywhere because everything is so far away from each other. And all their highways are always filled with traffic. To me, that's none of the benefits and all the bad parts of living in a city. I'm pretty happy where I am. :)

[calico1]

31. Interesting. Goes to show that the

newer cities are not all that great (as far as being healthy acitiviy wise). And the North has a lot of the old cities that are designed to be very car unfriendly. You are obligated to do a lot of walking. I'll bet that does have a lot to do with it.

[maxsolomon]

32. if the city was planned before the advent of the automobile

then it is walkable. there was no other way to HAVE a city before the car.

most southern cities have only grown since ww2.

sidewalks, not exit ramps!

[calico1]

33. You are right.

The older cities are in the North. I do notice in suburbs you have no sidewalks either. My road is very windy too and narrow. I have to drive out to another neighborhood with sidewalks to go walk, or to the local track when they are not using it. I do it but if I had sidewalks in my neighborhood walking would definitly be easier. Also, if the convenience store were not far from me and I had a sidewalk I would also walk. That's the other thing I remember from living in the city. I went to the store, post office, bunch of other places all on foot because it was close enough and there were plenty of sidewalks. And lighting. My road has no lights either.

[TahitiNut]

44. Portland (OR) is a "newer city" and very pedestrian.

It's a "civic value" -- sidewalks and plazas with benches and plenty of room to move, but not overly-accommodating of cars (unless you park 'em). Eugene is similar, but probably would be excepted since it's a university town. Seattle isn't particularly good with mass transit but, despite lots of up'n'down (hills) is very pedestrian-oriented -- and it's also a "newer city." Neither Seattle nor Portland have particulrly good weather -- unless you think no snow is all it takes.

Lalaland is yet another example. No city, to speak of, it's often characterized as "a bunch of suburbs in search of a city." Los Angelinos, despite being born with an atuomobile as an appendage, are VERY active. For Lalalanders it's about lifestyle - the gym, beach, pool, tennis court, skiiing, biking, rollerblading, whatever -- a lifestyle of MOVEMENT. I doubt you'll see more cars with bicycle racks anywhere else.

Contrary to the conjecture about older northern cities, neither Detroit nor Cleveland are pedestrian-friendly like NYC and Boston ... nor are their suburbs. Chicago is split. The near north side is active, but everywhere else it's couch potatoes. Maybe it's Lincoln Park. Dunno.

Strangely enough, Minneapolis is pedestrian-friendly ... and they even invest a lot in it because of the weather. The chain of urban lakes might reflect that attitude.

Toronto is hugely pedestrian ... all over town. It seems to be headed towards the "collection of neighborhoods" style like San Francisco.

It seems to be a regional value. Even in smaller towns and cities where the "family room" is most adored, the accommodation for physical activity is nearly non-existent.

[calico1]

27. Thanks for clearing that up.

I am not familiar with the South.

[NYC]

43. I read that New Yorkers tend to weigh 10-15 lbs. less

than most Americans. Even New Yorkers who ride the subway will walk from home to the subway station, and to the office at the other end. Almost all errands are on foot.

The New Yorkers who do not deliberately walk still wind up walking on average 10 miles a week. Those of us who deliberately walk instead of taking a bus or subway can easily walk 30 miles a week.

We have sidewalks and traffic lights. Not perfect, but relatively safe.

[enlightenment]

23. Agreed, but there is still an economic correlation

I live in Las Vegas -- city of cement. The heat impacts activity; a 106 degree day at the airport monitoring station equals 120 on the sidewalk; the lack of good public transportation impacts activity; the lack of greenbelts and parks impact activity -- and so on and so on. Lots of folks do ride bikes here; risking life and limb on streets that are not designed for anything but cars. I give them credit for that -- but if I had kids left at home, I wouldn't let them ride on the streets.

Now, there are those who will disagree with my assessment of the city -- and from their point of view, they're correct. If you go to the "nicer" neighborhoods, you will find greenbelts and parks with pools that don't look like waste reclamation ponds. There are plenty of golf courses here, also -- if you can afford the greens fees. Those neighborhoods are also pretty conducive to bike-riding; since they were designed that way.

Unfortunately, with an average home price of $300,000 (last I looked), there are lots and lots of people who can't afford to live in those "nice" neighborhoods. Their apartment complexes may or may not have a pool -- it may or may not be clean enough to swim in. Their nearest park is probably several miles away -- and may not have more than a patch of grass and a tired tree or two. And their neighborhoods are not designed for "outdoor" activity. Can they make do? Yes. Do they? Yes. But their physical surroundings make it all harder.

I'm not saying the city doesn't try, but there is a definite socio-economic class disparity in this town, just like many other towns and cities across America. Issues of availability and access are just one part of the whole, but they do need to be included. The ability to choose has a lot to do with "personal choice" when it's all said and done.

Guess I'm kinda ranting, TahitiNut -- believe me, I'm not criticizing your comments; they are very thoughtful. It's just frustrating that we can't seem to solve much in life.

Pax.

[depakid]

40. This has in fact been studied

both in academia and in marketing.

People who come from backgrounds where their families do physical work for a living "do not want to sweat," as my health behavior prof put it- when enjoying their leisure time- and this influences the activities they choose.

[TahitiNut]

45. I wonder if the decline in folk-dancing is correlated as well.

Most of the blue-collar "no-sweats" seem to be from parts of Europe where the community lifestyle included partying and folk-dancing. I wonder if, when emigrating, they failed to pack their dance shoes. While I've been to the event-oriented dancing, I get the definite impression that the "old country" was far more regular and consistent in such get-togethers and activities.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

34. Montana Is Starting to Turn Blue, I Hope

Schweitzer is a good Dem role model in the West, IMO.

DTH

[theHandpuppet]

36. I believe you'll find the true correlation to be found elsewhere

Such as the poverty rates between the groups with the highest and lowest percentages of obese adults.

Foods high in starch -- noodles, bread and potatoes, for example -- are cheap, whereas healthier foods, such as fresh fruit and veggies, are simply too expensive for families on limited incomes. Even the simplest things here, like tomatoes or peppers, cost $4 per pound whereas you can buy a sack of potatoes for $2. Same goes for meat, where lean cuts are outrageously expensive. A poor family here can buy a case of Ramen noodles for $2, half the price of a pound of broccoli.

As I said, the real difference is poverty. But just so you know, West Virginia has two Dem Senators (including Robert Byrd) and a Dem Governor. I wouldn't exactly call that a "red" state, would you?.

[KansDem]

39. I might not, but the Bushistas would...

West Virginia has two Dem Senators (including Robert Byrd) and a Dem Governor. I wouldn't exactly call that a "red" state, would you?.

Election 2004--West Virginia
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/WV/P/00/

Bush (Incumbent) 423,778 56% 5

Kerry 326,541 43% 0

[theHandpuppet]

48. Yes, and there are states that voted for Kerry...

... but have Republican governors and/or senators. Being a red or blue state doesn't depend solely how a state votes in a Presidential election.

[Barkley]

46. Good Find! But its economics income that's playing a "large'" role

I wonder suspect that the income per capita differences explains the gain in obseity and fast-food.

Fast-foods are what economists call an "inferior good"; as peoples' income rise they buy less of it.

Bus rides, retread tires, beer and used clothes are other examples of inferior goods.

Here in L.A. as most cities, fast-foods tend to be concentrated and over represented in lower income areas.

Also, there's an opportunity cost of exercising. Instead of getting a workout at your job, like people did a generation ago in factories, people must now give up some of their leisure time in order burn fat.

Along with resting, leisure include all non-market activities like raising kids, washing laundry, cutting lauwn etc.

Richer people can exercise more because they can pay other people to complete their leisure activities, while they exercise.

[0007]

21. How to spot a rich guy

[Overseas]

35. Can you imagine our govt banning snack advertising on TV ?

All those thousands of messages urging folks to eat, eat, eat ! We don't see booze commercials but junk food is AOK. No cigarette ads but transfats are just fine? Even cutting all junk food ads during kids shows on TV would help, but can you imagine the outcry against it ?