Weight Problems in the News Easy Read Volume # 18 Issue # 2 March/April 2008 Translated into plain language by Helen Osborne of Health Literacy Consulting Original article by Scott McNutt Imagine a future in which car seats, wheelchairs, and even morgue slabs are all custom-sized to fit you. Don t look now, but the future is here. Today, many common items are being made to fit the growing size of our nation s waistband. These growing sizes are symptoms of a larger problem. One study shows that in less than 10 years, the average American will be overweight (by today s standards). The study also says that the percentage of obese adults in the U.S. is almost triple (from 13 percent to 32 percent) what it was forty years ago (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health s Center for Human Nutrition). The obesity rate in the United States has increased at an alarming rate over the past 3 decades, said study leader Dr. Youfa Wang. Obesity is a public health
crisis. If the rate of obesity and overweight continues at this pace, by 2015, 75 percent of adults and nearly 24 percent of U.S. children and adolescents will be overweight or obese. Here are some recent news items and study reports about our nation s growing waistband. Obesity in the news People eat more meals and snacks outside their homes. In fact, up to 47 percent of food is now eaten outside the home (American Journal of Public Health, February 2002). Soda sizes are bigger. For instance, Double Gulp is a 64-ounce soda sold at 7-Eleven Stores. It has more than 1/3 of the calories an average person needs in a day. (American Journal of Public Health, February 2002). Food portions are bigger than standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For instance, some cookies are now 700 percent over USDA standards. Others foods such as hamburgers, French fries, pasta, muffins, steaks, and even bagels are all much bigger than USDA standards (American Journal of Public Health, February 2002).
Many sports stadiums and movie theaters are making their seats a few inches wider. (San Diego Union Tribune, April 11, 2004). Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Mitsubishi are now making some car seats wider (USA Today, December 27, 2005). Healthcare providers in California are buying extra-wide wheelchairs, heavyduty walkers, beds built to hold 500 pounds, extra-large operating tables and extra-long surgical instruments. These items can cost up to twice as much as that of normal-sized medical equipment (The Fresno Bee, April 14, 2006). Emergency response providers in Las Vegas have purchased a $250,000 extrawide bariatric ambulance, which has a larger gurney, winch, and ramps capable of loading up to 1,600 pounds (USA Today, March 31, 2006). Morgues around the nation are being forced to increase the size and strength of their autopsy carts and tables and adding special hoists to lift heftier corpses. This is at an increased cost of 30 to 40 percent above regular equipment (Orlando Sentinel, January 4, 2008). Obesity in population groups Many studies are looking at obesity rates in men, women, and population groups including those who are African American, white (non-hispanic), Asian, and Hispanic. All groups have high rates of obesity. In view of these alarmingly high rates of obesity in all population groups, the CDC has made the prevention of
obesity one of its top public health priorities, said Janet Collins, director of the CDC s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Obesity and children Dr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu (then-acting U.S. surgeon general) calls obesity a crisis affecting every state, every city, every community and every school across our great nation. He said that obesity is the fastest-growing cause of disease and death in America. At a 2006 Head Start Parent Training Conference, Moritsugu said that 25 percent of African American girls are overweight, compared with 16 percent of non-hispanic white girls. Childhood overweight doesn t necessarily go away with age, said Moritsugu. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This risk increases to 80 percent if one or more parent is overweight or obese. Today, 18 percent of children in the U.S. are overweight. Here are some reasons why: Television and other ads entice kids to buy junk food. Children have easy access to soft drinks, high-fat, high-sugar and salty snacks. School meals often have many calories and few healthy nutrients. Middle and high schools may not have any physical education (gym) classes. (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2007 supplement)
Here are some news items about when children are overweight or obese: Parents cannot find car safety seats large enough for their overweight children (Pediatrics, April 2006). Police in North Carolina threatened to remove a 250-pound, 7-year-old boy from his mother s home if she didn t get him to lose weight (Fox News, March 23, 2007). Some good news is that Sesame Street (a children s TV show) changed the theme song for Cookie Monster to A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food rather than C is for Cookie, That s Good Enough for Me. Cookie Monster now eats a more healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and just a few sugary snacks. (CBS News, April 8, 2005). Obesity and children of certain population groups Dr. David S. Ludwig writes about how health problems affect overweight or obese children in certain population groups. The incidence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents, though still not high, has increased by a factor of more than 10 in the past 2 decades and may now exceed that of type 1 diabetes among black and Hispanic adolescents. Ludwig writes that children may have other health problems due to being overweight such as fatty liver, orthopedic (walking)
problems, sleep apnea, isolation, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Ludwig forecasts that obese children are likely to be obese adults with even more health problems, including the risk of early death. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2007). Studies look at why there are such high rates of obesity for children in certain populations. Here are some reasons: In low-income neighborhoods there often are many fast-food restaurants but few grocery stores. Students in low-income neighborhoods may have fewer chances to play sports. Students in low-income neighborhoods often have less access to healthy snacks at school. (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2007 supplement) Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. This includes some leading causes of death. Obesity increases a person s risk for diseases such as: Hypertension (high blood pressure) Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels) Type 2 diabetes Heart disease
Stroke Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Sleep apnea and other respiratory (breathing) problems Breast, colon, and endometrial cancer Some experts conclude that the steady rise in life expectancy during the past 2 centuries may soon come to an end and that the obesity epidemic will be one of the main reasons for it (New England Journal of Medicine, 2005). Obesity can be costly. More and more adults in this country are overweight and obese. It will be very costly if this trend continues. Being overweight or obese not only adds to the cost of healthcare but also can result in lost work time and increased insurance premiums. Here are some more news items about obesity and cost: One-fourth of the increase in the nation s medical spending from 1987 to 2001 was due to obesity (Emory University study, 2004). Many studies are looking at the direct and indirect medical costs because of obesity. These costs are estimated to range from $78.5 billion to $118 billion each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other studies).
A recent report stated that the cost of chronic disease to the U.S. economy is in the billions of dollars each year. Some of these diseases relate to obesity including diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease and pulmonary conditions. The same report states that controlling obesity is the most important factor in addressing these diseases (Milken Institute, an economic think tank ). Obesity and people with limb loss People with limb loss should be very aware of the health costs related to obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the main cause of lower limb loss (not due to accidents or other traumas) in the United States today. In addition to diabetes, many people with limb loss face other health problems because of increased weight. A recent Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) study asked amputees about their other health problems. These include high blood pressure (30 percent), diabetes (28 percent), obesity (20 percent), heart disease (15 percent), and vascular disease (12 percent). Translated from Super Size Us: America Loosens Its Belt