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January 12, 2007
Obesity Trends – A national epidemic???
The National Center for Disease Control (CDC) is tracking statewide obesity trends. It seems that we, as a society, are becoming so fat, so fast, that they are able to track the trends as if it were the spread of an infectious disease.
These trend lines are incredible – almost every state has seen the percentage of their population that are clinically obese DOUBLE in the ten year period from 1991 to 2001.
California, for example, has seen the percentage of obese citizens go from 10 % in 1991, to 20.9% in 2001. With roughly 30 million people now calling California home, that means that roughly 6.3 million residents are now considered clinically obese.
Clinical obesity is defined here
The implications of this “fattening� of America are huge. As a culture, we are increasing moving towards “no fault lifestyles�, in which someone else should pay for your health care (even if you caused the problem yourself). Someone else should pay for your prescription drugs (to fix health problems that many times are caused by smoking, eating and lifestyle choices) and someone else should pay for your retirement, should you happen to eat or smoke yourself into a “disability�.
So how do we reverse these trends? First, and most important, I believe we need to provide a “disincentive� for consuming fast and fattening food. Call it a tax, call it a fat tax, I do not care what you call it – but the fast food restaurants and junk food dealers are slowly killing people.
Watch the movie "FAST FOOD NATION� if you do not believe me – this movie documents what happens when a relatively healthy person consumes fast food 3 meals a day, for 30 days (it nearly killed him).
Use the funding from this “Fat Tax� to create ad campaigns – similar to the anti-tobacco campaigns that have been used very effectively the last ten year. Use these campaigns to show people what the fast food restaurants will not – that their food is killing people.
Provide a tax incentive for citizens to become physically fit. If people knew they could get a $1,000 tax credit for running a 5K, doing a mile swim, or participating in a 100 mile bike ride I guarantee you would get a big percentage of the population off the couch, and into a more active lifestyle.
If you are concerned about how do we pay for this – consider that we currently spend 17% of our Gross Domestic Product on health care and drugs. Most other civilized nations spend closer to 10%.
We also need to encourage physical activity in the youth – as their obesity rates are even worse than the adults. Using this same fat tax funding, provide small financial incentives to kids that participate in running, swimming and cycling events – these are “lifetime� sports, that if kids are encouraged, they can enjoy for a lifetime.
Obesity Levels: State-By-State
Percent Of Population That Is Obese
State 1991 1995 1998 1999 2000 2001
Alabama 13.2 18.3 20.7 21.8 23.5 23.4
Alaska 13.1 19.2 20.7 19.2 20.5 21.0
Arizona 11.0 12.8 12.7 11.6 18.8 17.9
Arkansas 12.7 17.3 19.2 21.9 22.6 21.7
California 10.0 14.4 16.8 19.6 19.2 20.9
Colorado 8.4 10.00 14.0 14.3 13.8 14.4
Connecticut 10.9 11.9 14.7 14.5 16.9 17.3
Delaware 14.9 16.2 16.6 17.1 16.2 20.0
District of Columbia 15.2 n/a 1939 17.9 21.2 19.9
Florida 10.1 16.5 17.4 17.9 18.1 18.4
Georgia 9.2 12.6 18.7 20.7 20.9 22.1
Hawaii 10.4 10.4 15.3 15.3 15.1 17.6
Idaho 11.7 13.8 16.0 19.5 18.4 20.0
Illinois 12.7 16.4 17.9 20.2 20.9 20.5
Indiana 14.8 19.6 19.5 19.4 21.3 24.0
Iowa 14.4 17.2 19.3 20.9 20.8 21.8
Kansas n/a 15.8 17.3 18.5 20.1 21.0
Kentucky 12.7 16.6 19.9 21.1 22.3 24.2
Louisiana 15.7 17.4 21.3 21.5 22.8 23.3
Maine 12.1 13.7 17.0 18.9 19.7 19.0
Maryland 11.2 15.8 19.8 17.6 19.5 19.8
Massachusetts 8.8 11.1 13.8 14.3 16.4 16.1
Michigan 15.2 17.7 20.7 22.1 21.8 24.4
Minnesota 10.6 15.0 15.7 15.0 16.8 19.2
Mississippi 15.7 18.6 22.0 22.8 24.3 25.9
Missouri 12.0 18.0 19.8 20.8 21.6 22.5
Montana 9.5 12.6 1.7 14.7 15.2 18.2
Nebraska 12.5 15.7 17.5 20.2 20.6 20.1
Nevada n/a 13.3 13.4 15.3 17.2 19.1
New Hampshire 10.4 14.7 14.7 13.8 17.1 19.0
New Jersey 9.7 14.2 15.2 16.8 17.6 19.0
New Mexico 7.8 12.7 14.7 17.3 17.8 18.8
New York 12.8 13.3 15.9 16.9 17.2 19.7
North Carolina 13.0 16.5 19.0 21.0 21.3 22.4
North Dakota 12.9 15.6 18.7 21.2 19.8 19.9
Ohio 14.9 17.2 19.5 19.8 21.0 21.8
Oklahoma 11.9 13.0 18.7 20.2 19.0 22.1
Oregon 11.2 14.7 17.8 19.6 21.0 20.7
Pennsylvania 14.4 16.1 19.0 19.0 20.7 21.4
Rhode Island 9.1 12.9 16.2 16.01 16.8 17.3
South Carolina 13.8 16.1 20.2 20.2 21.5 21.7
South Dakota 12.8 13.6 15.4 19.0 19.2 20.6
Tennessee 12.1 18.0 18.5 20.1 22.7 22.6
Texas 12.7 15.0 19.9 21.1 22.7 23.8
Utah 9.7 12.6 15.3 16.3 18.5 18.4
Vermont 10.0 14.2 14.4 17.2 17.7 17.1
Virginia 10.1 15.2 18.2 18.6 17.5 20.0
Washington 9.9 13.5 17.6 17.7 18.5 18.9
West Virginia 15.2 17.8 22.9 23.9 22.8 24.6
Wisconsin 12.7 15.3 17.9 19.3 19.4 21.9
Wyoming n/a 13.9 14.5 16.4 17.6 19.2
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 1991-2001; self-reported data
More Information: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Posted by Dennis at January 12, 2007 09:20 PM
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Comments
Very good web site, great work and thank you for your service.D
Posted by: Olga at September 6, 2007 04:32 AM