States seek to lower obesity rates

CBS Marketwatch ^ | July 5, 2002 | Andrea Coombes

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

States seek to lower obesity rates

By Andrea Coombes, CBS MarketWatch.com Last Update: 12:03 AM ET July 5, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- States reeling from obesity-related health-care costs are looking to cut spending by addressing the source of the problem - their overweight residents.

Whether changing vending-machine fare in public buildings or requiring kids to take more physical education classes, states are cracking down on what experts call an "obesity epidemic."

In the last 30 years, the rate of overweight children more than doubled in the U.S., with an estimated 13 percent now overweight, according to a National Governors Association study.

The problem isn't limited to children, however. About 20 percent of American adults are now obese - about 30 pounds overweight - vs. 12 percent a decade ago. Low-income and minority people comprise a greater proportion of the obese, the study said. Poor nutrition and a lack of exercise are the main causes of the rise, with genetic factors playing a secondary role, the study found.

To address the issue, states are trying to stop obesity before it starts. But many are suffering budget shortfalls, limiting solutions to those that don't cost much money.

Some governors initiated nutrition and physical fitness education campaigns urging people to adopt simple lifestyle changes such as foregoing the elevator in favor of the stairs.

In Kentucky, a proposal suggested by a Governor-appointed task force addressing Type 2 diabetes -- an illness often associated with obesity and lack of exercise -- did not pass the legislature earlier this year due to budget constraints.

But the task force is now taking their health message to the local level, suggesting to schools, for example, that they dump the soda in their vending machines in favor of low-fat milk and fruit juices.

And the Kentucky Board of Education is looking at addressing the lack of physical activity in schools, said Emma Walters, a task-force member and dietician consultant with the state's Department for Public Health.

Texas weighs in

Addressing a nationwide dearth of physical education classes, Texas reversed a law earlier this year relegating P.E. to an elective along with art and music. Now Texas schoolchildren are required to participate in P.E. at least 135 minutes per week.

North Dakota is launching its Healthy North Dakota initiative later this year to address chronic disease, including obesity-related disease, in the state. Details will be hammered out later this year, but the program will focus on creating lifestyle changes at the community level.

"I think we have pushed the traditional educational approach to some of these high-risk behaviors to a plateau," said Dr. Terry Dwelle, state health officer with the North Dakota Department of Health.

In Vermont, a volunteer coalition is also going local, working to change unhealthy eating and exercise habits in children.

Obesity is "a major problem for the upcoming generation. It's going to be a major cause of death and it may be even more important than tobacco," said Dr. Donald Swartz, director of maternal and child health at the Vermont Department of Health.

There are a number of ways states can address the issue of obesity, said Michael Fierro, policy analyst at the National Governors Association and the author of the study.

States first need to assess the burden obesity places on their health-care system, and then convene experts to propose solutions, he said. The next two most important tools: Increase the time children spend in physical education classes, and put healthy food in schools.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

It's about time fat people paid their fair share. I'm tired of paying for someone's extremely high health care bills simply because they choose to sit on the couch all day eating ice cream and twinkies.

[ECM]

Amen, brother :)

[Consort]

[jodorowsky]

Probably, a better solution would be a less communist health care system.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

That could easily be taken care of. The insurance companies should charge the fatsos higher premiums, just like they do for smokers.

[Psycho_Bunny]

The most obvious question about this article is, of course, never asked: Why are the States funding healthcare to the point that they feel compelled to modify the day to day choices of their citizens?

[rodeocowboy]

This is what happens when states provide/participate in MedicAid/welfare-medical programs. So many people are on MedicAid now, that we pretty much have unofficial, socialized medicine.

Men's Health Magazine has a report in this month's issue in favor of states and localities adding a sin tax to fast food and possibly suing McDonalds. Some lawyers are already lobbying localities to sue.

[cracker]

Too true.

Make the fatties pay. Insurers charge based on age, sex, smoking - fatties should be no different.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Gotta agree with both of you on your points...

Yes, back in the "old days" when people actually paid for their doctor visits they learned to take care of themselves. And if they were poor, and couldn't pay, the doctor would work out a deal with them. Now the state simply comes to me and tells me to pay for other people's doctor visits...

[Gaston]

It's about time fat people paid their fair share. I'm tired of paying for someone's extremely high health care bills simply because they choose to sit on the couch all day eating ice cream and twinkies.

Are you serious?????? Don't let your prejudices against fat people cloud your thinking into letting the left unleash it's fat police.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Don't let your prejudices against fat people...

So you are saying that fat people can't help getting that way???

PLEASE(!!!), don't let your bigotry and hatred for fit people let the left unleash more burdonsome taxes on fit people!!!

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

So many people are on MedicAid now, that we pretty much have unofficial, socialized medicine.

Medicare is socialized medicine for the elderly. They use it, the rest of us pay it but can't use it.

[Gaston]

So you are saying that fat people can't help getting that way???

No, I said no such thing. But it is obvious from your previous posts to other threads that indeed you are prejudiced against fat people.

I am against my taxes being used to finance anyone's (repeat anyone's) medical expenses fit fat or other.

[Blackyce]

This is, of course, the main problem with socialized medicin. When bad health becomes a cost issue, the state will almost certainly begin regulating our personal lives, whether its fried foods or cigarettes.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

isn't it embarrassing that 61% of Americans are overweight?

It's also an eyesore.

[discostu]

Before taking anybody's word that America is getting fatter go here:
http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

This is the tool now used to define people as obese or not. Notice it's a flat comparison of height and weight. No longer do you take into account things like age, gender, skeletal frame type, muscle mass or body fat % (which is truly the only measurement that counts for determining if your obese). The reason our obese nubmers are sky rocketing is that they've fudged the definition to the point where anyone waying more than X (regardless of how they got there, even if they're bulging muscles) is obese. Bad science inspired bad laws.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

The reason our obese nubmers are sky rocketing is that they've fudged the definition

My eyes tell me differently.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

But it is obvious from your previous posts to other threads that indeed you are prejudiced against fat people.

Fascinating the way you emulate the left so well with your comments. If you disagree with someone don't talk about the point, just call them prejiduce or some other name. So, yes, I'm going to play your game and firmly believe that you are a bigot. You hate fit people. Otherwise you would not be defending fat people taking money from fit people for their high health care costs.

There is nothing prejiduce about stating the fact that being fat is a lifestyle choice and a costly one at that. I'm tired of them telling me to pay for it. Call that what you want...

[cgbg]

This is what happens when states provide/participate in MedicAid/welfare-medical programs. So many people are on MedicAid now, that we pretty much have unofficial, socialized medicine. Men's Health Magazine has a report in this month's issue in favor of states and localities adding a sin tax to fast food and possibly suing McDonalds. Some lawyers are already lobbying localities to sue.

It is going to get much worse than that.

The _largest_ expenditures on socialized medicine are not due to overweight people. The are due to (hang on to your chairs) dying people. That's right--people of all kinds who are very sick, in comas, on machines, etc. spend something like 50% of the total health care costs in the last weeks of their life.

How are the liberals going to deal with that?

The liberals are also going to find out that very old people use a disproportionate percentage of the health care system.

This has been a science fiction dystopia theme for a long time--and we better all start quaking in fear. The liberal's nanny state can only lead to one vicious solution--involuntary euthanasia.

First they came for the gun-owners, then the smokers, then the fat people. Next they will come for you!