According to the United States Center for Disease Control, obesity has become a nationwide epidemic. With the number of overweight people increasing every year, obesity continues to be a concern for health care professionals across the country and in Chenango County.
In New York state today, approximately 55 percent of adults are obese or overweight, meaning they have a body mass index of 25 or greater. In children, the rate of obesity – a body mass index of 30 or greater – is approximately 16 percent nationwide.
The National Center for Disease Control’s statistics compiled for the period from 2000 to 2002 show that approximately 62 percent of adults in Chenango and Madison County were obese or overweight. Among children, Chenango County fared slightly better than the national average, but officials at the department of public health say there is still reason for concern.
“Obesity among children and youth is increasing,” said Health Educator Jacky Knoll-Carr.
In Chenango County, approximately 13 percent of children ages 2 to 4 and 13 percent of high school students were overweight.
“There are a lot of factors. It’s the type of foods they eat, the portion sizes, hereditary issues, and a more sedentary lifestyle,” said Knoll-Carr.
Another factor for the increase, Knoll-Carr said, is the growing trend for families to purchase already prepared foods, which have more preservatives, salt and MSG. “When you prepare your own meals, you can control the salt and fat content,” Knoll-Carr said.
The Chenango County Public Health Department has several pamphlets with information and programs for a healthier lifestyle. One is the 5-A-Day program, which encourages all children and adults to make sure they are consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
“It’s a mindset,” said Knoll-Car. “It takes a conscious decision to eat correctly and upgrade your exercise. There are lots of programs, but you don’t even need a program. Walking, biking, swimming, non competitive sports – those are all things you can do.”
State and local agencies are taking steps to encourage a more active, healthy lifestyle, beginning with children in school. Dr. Christine Wilson, the medical director of school-based health centers, said the state will begin mandating schools to report statistics on the body mass index of students.
“We’ve taken this as a rallying point for wellness,” Wilson said. “It allows us to determine if the child is OK, overweight or obese.”
The body mass index is compiled by looking at height, weight and fat percentage. A body mass index is looked at for each child and the number is compared to national statistics from other children of the same sex and age. Letters are sent home to the parents of the children to communicate the results of each child’s exam.
Wilson said the employees of the school-based health clinics are also working closely with the school wellness committees to encourage a good diet, adequate exercise and proper nutrition. Both groups are encouraging children to visit web sites like mypyramid.gov for information on nutrition and healthy living.
Although the issue is now being mandated at the state level, Wilson said the obesity epidemic was an issue they would have been working on anyway.
“Education is a big thing,” he said. Overweight or obese parents are more likely to have children who are overweight or obese.
Studies have shown that obesity increase the risk factors for a number of health conditions, such as high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, type two diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and some types of cancer.
“Diabetes is on the rise, particularly diabetes in children,” Knoll-Carr said. “If a child is obese, it increases the chance that they might have serious health issues at a younger age.”
Both Knoll-Carr and Wilson said obesity is a sensitive issue. “We’re sensitive toward parents and children, too. Kids can be easily upset by this,” Wilson said. “The idea is to move toward a healthy lifestyle. You can’t accomplish that within one year. These are long term changes.”
The county’s health department expressed a similar sentiment. “We don’t want to point fingers. We’re here to help. We’re looking at how we can help people be healthier,” Knoll-Carr said.
For more information about locally available programs, call 337-1660.