Guest Post: F as in Fat

Yesterday I was involved in the RWJF and the Trust for America’s Health release of our annual F as in Fat report on obesity in the United States.  This year’s findings were particularly interesting.

In addition to going over the usual things about which states were the fattest for adults and children, for the first time it showed how much more obesity there is among 55- to 64-year-olds versus those already eligible for Medicare.  The wave of disease and costs to come dwarf what we’re spending now, and some researchers, like Ken Thorpe, have already been finding that obesity and chronic conditions were major drivers of Medicare spending increases during the 1990s. 

America is being weighed down by the obesity epidemic.

As Congress works toward health reform, the link between the obesity epidemic and the diseases it causes to the longer-term prospects of health reform that is affordable is clear. 

It’s also clear that, to address the epidemic, we have to look in communities and schools—not the doctor’s office—for the possibility of prevention.

The situation is very serious, but for the first time the news was not all grim.  Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states since last year’s report, but that report showed increases in 37 states over the prior year. So maybe the obesity epidemic message is similar to that of the economic situation.  The new news is less bad than it was.     

And so while we must continue to view this problem with alarm and act with urgency, we’re beginning to see reasons for hope.

This year’s F as in Fat report also shows that many states are stepping up with policies to improve nutrition and increase physical activity.  And most of the aggressive changes they are making have occurred in just the last few years. For instance some are considering legislation requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to provide nutrition information on menus and menu boards so consumers will have the information they need before they place their orders.  

Another interesting finding was that 19 states now have school nutrition standards that are stricter than USDA’s, versus just four in 2004! Wouldn’t it be great if our national standards once again got stronger than the states’?

No government program can take the place of concerned parents doing what is best for their children.  But the critical role that only government can play—whether local, state or federal—is to help parents, to make it easier for them to protect the health of their children.  And parents should be demanding that from their government.

Let me be clear: communities in which policies and neighborhood environments help make healthy choices easy, fun and popular will be healthier and more satisfying places to live work learn and play.

That is true health reform.