Hey, Oklahoma: You’re fat.

It’s a growing problem (pun intended), and we don’t want OU students to be part of the problem.

Oklahomans’ ever-widening waistbands have made the state the eighth most obese in the nation, according to a national report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (See page 3 for details).

For the nearly 67 percent of overweight Americans — and the 28 percent of Oklahomans considered obese — the extra pounds present significant health risks.

Type 2 diabetes is a risk in overweight people because fatty tissue makes cells less resistant to insulin. In Oklahoma, the rate of people with Type 2 diabetes is the 6th highest in the nation.

Obese individuals are also at increased risk for high blood pressure, strokes, respiratory problems and breast and colon cancer.

The best solution to the problem of obesity is personal responsibility.

Here at OU, students should take advantage of the wealth of opportunities the university provides its students to stay healthy.

OU has made a commendable increase in healthy food options over the last few years.

Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Laughing Tomato serves vegan and organic food. Roscoe’s in Cate ala Cart serves sushi. Even Couch Cafeteria has the vegetation station and vegan bar.

The Huston Huffman Center has quality workout equipment available to students and offers a variety of personal training and health classes, from yoga to kickboxing toabs express.

OU even offers fitness classes for credit. Wall Climbing or Judo on your transcript? Yes, it’s possible.

With such an oasis of opportunities, OU students have no excuse for excessive weight gain and bad health habits in college.

But the university is not students’ mother. They must take responsibility for themselves.

Their bodies are begging them to.