Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
Heart association seeks policy, social changes that boost healthier eating, exercise
MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing the high rate of obesity in the United States requires a comprehensive, population-based strategy, says a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement. The AHA also recommends a wide range of approaches to help people adopt healthy behaviors, such as eating right and being physically active. About 67 million Americans are obese, and an additional 75 million are overweight, according to the 2001-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. "Almost all of our current eating or activity patterns are those that promote weight gain -- using the least possible amount of energy or maximizing quantity rather than quality in terms of food," Shiriki Kumanyika, chair of the statement working group, said in a prepared statement. "People haven't just made the decision to eat more and move less; the social structure has played into people's tendencies to go for convenience foods and labor-saving devices." Making policy and environmental changes at the local, state and federal levels could help boost healthy eating and physical activity without requiring deliberate action by individuals. "We're not talking about creating a dieting society, but looking at choices people make in day-to-day living that affect their ability to manage their weight and then trying to change the environment to facilitate healthier choices," said Kumanyika, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. The statement outlines the following areas to identify targets for change:
"The concept of population-level interventions to change contexts for individual behavior is well-known from the experience with tobacco regulations," Kumanyika said. "Changes in these areas can eventually become 'normal' and displace the current 'normal' ways of doing things. Right now, you have to be pretty single-minded to make some of these choices, such as walking or riding a bike instead of driving. We advocate changes that will move the social norm to where physical activity is the custom." The statement was published in the current issue of Circulation. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about the importance of healthy eating and exercise.
Last Updated: June 30, 2008 Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. |
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=617009
This reminds me of that saying
Insanity is when you keep repeating the same thing over and over - but expect a different result.
Then again - maybe they are insane. Perhaps they are just trying to make sure that they have a steady stream of customers.
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The news about obesity is no new news that is for sure. What I do not understand is how people can function when sometimes their getting around is impaired. A little plump is a long way to obesity. I do think that people wait until there are so many things organically wrong with them and they HAVE to do something about the problem...ANyway it is a simple matter for us slim folks to watch our daily diets.,..carol stanley author of "For Kids 59.99 and OVer"
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