ALLISON RUPP Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
Obesity rates in Wyoming remained stagnant over the past year, but state and national officials said the fight against obesity is far from finished.
Almost one in four adults in Wyoming is obese, according to the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Only 23 states had increases in obesity rates, but no states experienced significant decreases, according to the sixth annual "F is for Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing America" released Wednesday.
Obesity rates for Wyoming children also remained relatively unchanged, said Joe Grandpre, chronic disease section chief at the Wyoming Department of Health.
"If you look at obesity rates across the country, they seemed to have leveled off," Grandpre said. "But they have not gone down. It is going to take a lot of work to get the rate moving the other way."
Obesity still remains an epidemic, according to Dr. Jim Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Marks stressed the need for individuals, schools, state legislatures and the federal government to work to prevent obesity.
"We are starting to see the early signs of hope," Marks said during a teleconference. "But they are early."
Obesity is still harming millions of American and costing billions of dollars, said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health. About one-fourth of America's health dollars are spent on obesity-related conditions.
Conditions like diabetes and heart disease are expensive to treat, Grandpre said.
"It's the biggest contributor to chronic disease, which is the biggest driver of health care costs," Levi said. "Health care costs have grown along with our waist lines."
National childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past 30 years, Levi said.
Wyoming does well in preventing overweight youth, according to the report. Wyoming had the fifth lowest rate, and 25.7 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds are overweight or obese.
The report combines overweight and obese children, because trends show overweight children tend to become obese.
"Obviously, we can continue to do more," said Tamra Jackson, nutrition program supervisor with Wyoming Department of Education. "We are excited to see we are way down there."
Schools across the state differ in what they do to prevent childhood obesity, because there are not many state mandates. Some schools have banned soda from vending machines, and others have physical education five days a week.
Though the report points out Wyoming might need more statewide policies enacted for schools, Crystal English, also with the state's education department, said it is a "double-edged sword." Mandates can limit schools in what they do, but they also prevent schools from doing nothing.
Levi said obesity is an individual problem that has reached a national health crisis.
States have begun to act, but policies have been "too few and too weak," Marks said.
Grandpre said the health department educates people about obesity, but it ultimately comes down to an individual's choice.
"I can't lose weight for someone," Grandpre said.
Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.