Oklahoma's Rising Obesity Rates

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A national study released Monday indicates that obesity rates in Oklahoma have risen since last year and are among the nation's highest. According to the study by the Trust for

Monday, August 27th 2007, 10:13 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A national study released Monday indicates that obesity rates in Oklahoma have risen since last year and are among the nation's highest. According to the study by the Trust for America's Health, Oklahoma's adult obesity rate rose by 0.8% during the past year to 26.8%. That is the ninth-highest rate in the nation. The state's rate of overweight youths ages 10 to 17 is 15.4%, which ranks 17th nationally.

Adult obesity rates did not decline in any state during the past year. Mississippi has the nation's top overall adult obesity rate of 30.6%, while Colorado has the lowest at 17.6%. Ten of the 15 states with the highest rates are located in the South.

The report notes that 29.4% of Oklahoma adults do not engage in any physical activity, well above the national average of 22%.

``I can't say I was very surprised by it,'' state Commissioner of Health Michael Crutcher said of the report. ``It provides us another opportunity to bring to light the importance of this issue and the challenge we have in Oklahoma to try and address it by encouraging behaviors that are healthier.

``We're trying to change behaviors. You're not going to get people to be vegetarians, but people can still be healthier and eat healthier diets without giving up everything they enjoy in life.''

According to the report, 85% of Americans believe obesity is a national epidemic. Jeff Levi, the executive director of TFAH _ a research group that focuses on disease prevention _ said that represents a breakthrough in attempts to bring attention to the issue.

``Now, we need a breakthrough in terms of policies and results. Poor nutrition and physical activity are robbing America of our health and productivity,'' Levi said.

State officials have taken note of Oklahoma's rising obesity rates, especially those among children. Under a state law passed in 2005, foods of no or low nutritional value _ as defined by the U.S. Agriculture Department _ are prohibited in elementary and middle schools. The law took effect last month.

According to the report, Oklahoma is one of 22 states that have set such nutritional standards for foods sold in vending machines, a la carte, in school stores or in bake sales at schools and is one of 26 states that limit when and where such foods may be sold on school property beyond federal requirements.

Oklahoma is among 17 states to require school lunches, breakfasts and snacks to meet higher nutritional standards than those set by the federal Agriculture Department, the report said, but is not among the 16 states that screen students' body mass index or fitness status and confidentially provide that information to parents or guardians.

Anne Roberts, the executive director for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said schools ``are part of the solution'' in helping reduce the number of overweight youths in the state.

She cited the success of programs such as Farm to School, which is coordinated by the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. In the fall of 2006, according to the program's Web site, 35 school districts and 343 schools in the state participated in the program, which features school purchases of food from local farmers.

Participating districts include some of the state's largest, including Tulsa, Broken Arrow and Edmond.

Making small lifestyle changes ``is very easy to do,'' Roberts said. ``Perhaps we need to pay more attention to what we put on the tables for our children.''

Crutcher said the Farm to School initiative and others in schools ``hopefully in the next few years will start to pay dividends. All of these things are long-term commitments. There is no quick, easy fix.''