Editorial: Obesity weighs on economy, prosperity
The forecast for the nation’s health is bleak, with expanding waistlines for decades to come if we don’t get busy.
A thick 26 percent slice of Washingtonians are obese, and if the current trend were to hold, that figure would climb to 55 percent by 2030. And we’re one of the healthier states, according to an analysis commissioned by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Thirty-two states are in worse shape, including Idaho, which weighs in at No. 30 on the obesity scale. The heaviest state is Mississippi, and the lightest is Colorado.
The ramifications go beyond appearances because health care costs, which are already difficult to control, will rise as more people develop Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many other chronic illnesses.
Obesity is defined as 30 pounds overweight, but even being chubby carries enormous consequences.
Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health, told USA Today that if overweight people could drop their body mass indexes by 5 percent, it would save the country billions in health care costs. For a 200-pound person, 5 percent would be 10 pounds.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has studied the dietary and exercise habits of the nation for decades. It found that from 1960 to 1980, the national waistline held steady, with about 15 percent of the population weighing in as obese. Now, the national average is a stunning 36 percent.
Mesmerized by a wide variety of entertainment devices, more and more Americans are parking their fannies after they park their cars. To stay fortified, they consume high calorie meals purchased at drive-through windows or removed from microwave ovens.
It’s never been easier to gain weight and ruin your health. This trend is perilous for the nation. The estimated annual cost to us all is anywhere from $147 billion to $210 billion. Tack on $48 billion to $66 billion by 2030 if the trend holds.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis is much simpler than the solutions.
Government can do its part by issuing public health warnings and promoting healthy habits. As columnist Jamie Tobias Neely recently noted, six regional school districts have switched to fresher foods prepared on the premises. The feds have increased nutritional requirements for school lunches, calling for more whole grains and fruits and vegetables, along with less fat and salt. First lady Michelle Obama has helped publicize and educate the public on obesity.
Local governments can help by increasing mass transit offerings and making neighborhoods more amenable to bicycling and walking.
But, ultimately, we all need to take a long look in the mirror and decide what we can do to make ourselves and our communities healthier.
They say every journey begins with a single step. That’s a great idea to get the momentum rolling. But it will take a long-term commitment to steer Americans down a narrower path.