The numbers on the scale are creeping higher for some Oklahomans.
Oklahoma is the eighth most obese state in America, according to a 2008 report by Trust for America’s Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to disease prevention.
The report found that 28.1 percent of Oklahoma adults are obese, making this the third year in a row that the percentage of obese adults in the U.S. has increased.
Colorado was the least obese state, with 18.4 percent considered obese, according to the report.
States such as Colorado, Hawaii and Connecticut might have earned a lower ranking because they have stricter laws aimed at improving nutrition in schools, said Adeline Yerkes, chief of the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Service.
“Their state might have a higher priority on health than Oklahoma does,” Yerkes said.
Combating obesity starts with individuals, Patti Landers, a dietician and OU nutritional science professor, stated in an e-mail.
Some of the simplest ways people can stay slim involve choosing healthy food, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, low-sugar foods and reasonably-sized portions.
It’s also important to work in 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day, Landers said.
Oklahoma was ranked as the fifth worst state for physical activity, according to the report.
Katherine Johnston, health and exercise science junior, said individuals have to make change happen among thir peers by leading through example.
“Get your hall together and play a game of Frisbee or volleyball,” Johnston said.
Real solutions will depend on communities, said Brooke Campbell, president of Health and Exercise Science Student Association and health and exercise science senior.
“If one person takes the first step, others will follow. Both sides have to play. The community needs to have the initiative to get out there,” Campbell said.
Yerkes said high-fat diets and low produce consumption contribute to obesity in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma adults eat an average of 1.8 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The rest of the U.S. averages about three.
Oklahoma’s sedentary lifestyle is another contributing factor to the increasing obesity rate.
“We’re eating more calories than we’re expending,” Yerkes said.
High levels of depression and poor quality of life, which are linked to socioeconomic status, unemployment and high divorce rates, also make Oklahomans more likely to be obese, she said.
Higher rates of obesity mean lower life expectancy, Landers said.
“Obesity is correlated with some chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes,” Landers said. “Therefore, an obese person is at higher risk of getting diabetes.”
There is also a correlation between obesity and heart attacks, Landers said.
Although the state has passed several laws to help curb obesity, most have not been in place long enough for the results to be visible, Yerkes said.
She added that some measures to reduce obesity include increasing access to free physical activity, building bicycle lanes and making breastfeeding socially acceptable in public.
The state has also implemented laws in schools to reduce childhood obesity, Yerkes said. She said 120 hours of physical activity are required for students in kindergarten through 5th grade.
Yerkes said other school laws mandate healthy vending machine options in secondary schools. Vending machines are not allowed in elementary schools.
Despite these efforts, it could be five to 10 years before Oklahoma notices a drop in obesity rates.
“It’s just going to take some time to get all those changes put through and teach people what they need to be doing,” Yerkes said.
She believes the real solution to obesity will happen when Oklahomans make change a priority.
“It’s everybody, not just individuals alone,” she said. “People can make small changes, but the big rewards will come when communities and businesses make major change.”
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brokenribbon 3 years, 9 months ago
Well, that's depressing.