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Steps to Preventing Overweight
and Obesity
Obesity is the fastest growing epidemic
in the United States, and one of the most serious chronic
diseases of our time. From 1987 to 2000, obesity rates
increased dramatically. Currently 64 percent of the
adult population - or 59 million people - are either
overweight or obese.
Today's Action
During the month of July, Secretary
Thompson is calling on all health leaders to combat
the devastating health, economic and social consequences
of overweight and obesity in America. Communities must
use strategies that help address overweight and obesity,
like requiring physical education at all school grades,
providing more health food options on school campuses,
and providing safe and accessible recreational facilities
for residents of all ages.
Why is preventing overweight and
obesity so important?
- Overweight and obesity is a chronic
illness, just like diabetes and heart disease. We
must take steps to help people understand that maintaining
proper weight is a vital component to achieving a
healthy lifestyle.
- In America, 59 million adults either
overweight or obese. The nation's children and adolescents
are heavier than they've ever been in history. Overweight
and obesity is a fast-growing epidemic, and we must
marshal our resources to put an end to this chronic
public health burden.
- The President and Secretary Thompson,
through the innovative HealthierUS Initiative, are
helping policy makers and the public recognize that
small changes over time yield big rewards.
Overweight and Obesity: The Facts
- People who are overweight or obese
have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure,
high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type
2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
- Overweight and obesity may soon
cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette
smoking.
- Approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths
a year are currently associated with obesity and overweight.
- The total direct and indirect costs
attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117
billion in the year 2000 -- $400 for every man, woman
and child in this country.
- Children today are twice as likely
to be overweight than they were in 1980. For teenagers,
the trend is even worse. Adolescents are three times
as likely to be overweight today than they were in
1980.
Prevention and Control: Strategies
to fight Overweight and Obesity
- Steps to a Healthier U.S.
Secretary Thompson is building the administration's
HealthierUS initiative through Steps to a HealthierUS,
an HHS campaign to help Americans live longer, healthier
lives. Two central pillars of Steps is to promote
a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and encourage
regular physical activity. In addition, the initiative
will award $15 million in grants to support community-based
chronic disease prevention and control programs to
prevent asthma, diabetes and obesity. At the heart
this Steps initiative and supporting community programs
under Steps lies both personal responsibility for
the choices Americans make and social responsibility
to ensure that policy makers support the kinds of
programs that foster healthy behaviors. Secretary
Thompson is marshalling resources with HHS and is
calling on other federal agencies and the private
sector to take appropriate action to improve our nation's
health.
- VERB. HHS' Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention administer the VERB campaign,
which encourages youth to be physically active and
engaged in their communities. To date, the VERB campaign
has touched the lives of more than 4 million children
and parents.
- National 5 A Day for Better
Health Program. The National Cancer Institute
(NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) administers
the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program, which
promotes eating five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables each day.
- 9 A Day Campaign. Aimed
specifically at African-American men, NCI's 9 A Day
campaign encourages black men to eat nine servings
of fruits and vegetables daily.
- President's Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports. The President's Council on
Physical Fitness and Sports serves as a catalyst to
promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages
- particularly schoolchildren - to become physically
active and participate in sports.
Body Mass Index: A Simple Test
for Overweight and Obesity
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a tool
for indicating weight status in adults. It is a measure
of weight for height. The BMI ranges are based on the
effect body weight has on disease and death. In children
and teens, BMI is gender and age specific. To learn
how to calculate your BMI, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm.
Thought of the Day: "Few
people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are
endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature,
good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence,
and nothing too much." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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