OT: Obesity 'Report Card' for States Released

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Obesity 'Report Card' for States Released

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

By Miranda Hitti

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155416,00.html

 

America's 2005 obesity " report card " shows some progress among states

but plenty of room for improvement.

 

Released by the University of Baltimore's Obesity Initiative, the report

awarded only one " A. " California took that honor for its attempt to

control childhood obesity. However, California's overall grade for its

efforts to address the obesity epidemic (not just among school children)

was a " B. "

 

About a quarter of states earned a failing grade for efforts to control

childhood obesity, the report card states. " Given the importance of

establishing healthy habits early in life, the results are very

disappointing, " write the researchers.

 

Overall Grades

 

Here are the grades for state overall efforts to control obesity (states

listed in alphabetical order):

 

A: No states.

 

B: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, North

Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Washington

 

C: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New

Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode

Island, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

 

D: Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana,

Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin

 

F: Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

 

Grades for Childhood Obesity

 

The report card also gave grades for state efforts regarding childhood

obesity:

 

A: California

 

B: Arkansas, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New

York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas,

Washington, West Virginia

 

C: Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana,

Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire,

New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South

Carolina, Virginia

 

D: Alabama, Florida, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Vermont

 

F: Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

 

Making the Grade, Or Not

 

The report card comes from the University of Baltimore's Obesity

Initiative. Grades were based on legislation introduced and/or passed by

the states on eight topics: nutrition standards; vending machine usage;

body mass index (BMI) measured in school; recess and physical education;

obesity programs and education; obesity research; obesity treatment in

health insurance; and obesity commissions. The researchers looked at

each state's most recent legislative session.

 

To receive an " A, " states had to successfully pass a law related to

obesity. Points were awarded if legislation was introduced but not

passed. " Introducing legislation at least indicates some awareness and

the presence of a will directed to controlling obesity, " notes the

report card.

 

Researchers working on the report card included Kenneth R. Stanton, PhD,

MBA, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Baltimore's

business school.

 

'Disturbing' Shortfall for Stopping Obesity

 

" Many states made progress in enacting legislation, " write researchers.

But they say some states with high obesity rates " are lagging in taking

corrective steps. "

 

For instance, the report card states that according to the CDC,

Mississippi had the nation's highest obesity rate in 2001. Mississippi

earned points for passing legislation on recess/physical education

requirements and establishing an obesity commission. But only the

recess/physical education law is likely to have any near-term impact,

according to the report card.

 

West Virginiaand Michigan were the No. 2 and No. 3 states for obesity

prevalence in 2001 according to the CDC, says the report card. The

researchers say both states have proposed obesity legislation but no

laws were successfully passed.

 

" Overall, states have been slow to recognize the need for prompt actions

that may have a more immediate effect, " write researchers. " The absence

of significant state efforts to address the epidemic is disturbing. "

 

Hot Topics

 

The top three areas of proposed legislation among the states were:

 

—Recess/physical education requirements (27 states)

 

—Nutrition standards (23 states)

 

—Vending machine restrictions (21 states)

 

Fourteen states tried to pass laws regarding BMI assessment of school

children, and 13 attempted to pass laws mandating curricula to address

nutrition education and obesity awareness. Less than five states had

proposed legislation for obesity research.

 

State Obesity Rates

 

The CDC's 2003 Behavioral Risk Surveillance Survey lists adult obesity

rates for each state. States in each category are listed alphabetically.

 

Adult obesity rate of 15 to 19 percent: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut,

Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming

 

Adult obesity rate of 20 to 24 percent: Alaska, Arkansas, California,

Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York,

North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Oregon,

South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington,

Wisconsin

 

Adult obesity rate of at least 25 percent:Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi,

West Virginia

 

By Miranda Hitti, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

 

SOURCES: The University of Baltimore Obesity Initiative: " The U.S.

Obesity Report Card. " CDC.

 

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