WASHINGTON (AP) — In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Now, all but one does. (July 7, 2011)
No obesity in this house; my co-writer and Lisa heading out for a 50 mile bike ride on Sunday morning -- 4-Leaf poster kids for sure
For my 10-26-11 post focusing purely on the reversal of type 2 diabetes, Got Type 2 Diabetes? “Get rid of it,” says Dr. Ornish – with 4 videos.
While visiting my son’s family in Massachusetts over the weekend, I read an AP article in the local paper about obesity, particularly in the state of MA. From the article:
An annual obesity report by two public health groups looked for the first time at state-by-state statistics over the last two decades. The state that has the lowest obesity rate now — Colorado, with 19.8 percent of adults considered obese — would have had the highest rate in 1995.
That bears repeating. Colorado, the “thinnest” state now at 19.8% obese, would have been the fattest of all states in 1995. The report notes that there are now 12 states with over 30% obesity; just five years ago, there was only one — my original home state of Mississippi.
But now I live in New England, home of two of the nation’s thinnest three states — Connecticut and Massachusetts. But we’re not doing any bragging — nor are ANY states for that matter. A few stats in the local paper about Massachusetts:
Not wanting to show an "actual" illustration of obesity, here are two of my grandsons playing the role -- Collin and Andrew.
- The obesity rate now stands at 22.3 percent. Fifteen years ago, Massachusetts had an obesity rate of 11.6 percent.
- That’s a 90% increase.
- In 1995, Massachusetts had a diabetes rate of 4.5 percent. Now the diabetes rate is 7.5 percent.
- Diabetes rates have doubled in 10 states over the past 15 years.
- The study also noted that blood pressure was up significantly, with over 25 percent of the people suffering from it.
The study went on to say that not a single state decreased its level of obesity, which is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Clearly we have a HUGE problem (no pun intended) in the Western world — the home of meat, dairy and highly refined carbohydrates three meals a day, 365 days a year. Our government subsidizes the worst food so that they become the cheapest calories you can buy. And we wonder why obesity is highest among the poorest people.
No confusion here. Our system is pure "clarity." Simple, positive, flexible and powerful
The time has come for our government to get real clear about exactly what constitutes a health-promoting diet-style. But, if you read yesterday’s post about “Confusion over Clarity,” you know that our government is not going to change its tune anytime soon, nor are the other members of that vast, inter-connected “system” that controls what we eat.
Ultimately, the “system” will change, but you don’t have to wait. If you would like for your family to be healthy, trim, and disease-free; you can climb aboard the 4-Leaf train now — a simple, flexible and powerful guide to taking charge of your health.
Want to learn more about type 2 diabetes, you will enjoy watching this helpful video by my friend Dr. John McDougall. (drmcdougall.com)
If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.
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—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com
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J. Morris Hicks, engineer. writer. big picture guy. 