Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate

Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
Mon Jun 30, 11:46 PM ET



MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing the high rate of obesity
in the United States requires a comprehensive, population-based
strategy, says a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific
statement.


The AHA also recommends a wide range of approaches to help people
adopt healthy behaviors, such as eating right and being physically
active.


About 67 million Americans are obese, and an additional 75 million are
overweight, according to the 2001-04 National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey.


"Almost all of our current eating or activity patterns are those that
promote weight gain -- using the least possible amount of energy or
maximizing quantity rather than quality in terms of food," Shiriki
Kumanyika, chair of the statement working group, said in a prepared
statement. "People haven't just made the decision to eat more and move
less; the social structure has played into people's tendencies to go
for convenience foods and labor-saving devices."


Making policy and environmental changes at the local, state and
federal levels could help boost healthy eating and physical activity
without requiring deliberate action by individuals.


"We're not talking about creating a dieting society, but looking at
choices people make in day-to-day living that affect their ability to
manage their weight and then trying to change the environment to
facilitate healthier choices," said Kumanyika, a professor of
epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in
Philadelphia.


The statement outlines the following areas to identify targets for
change:

Locations of fast food restaurants. Restaurant portion sizes
Availability of high-fat, low-fiber foods and sweetened drinks.
Community design and infrastructure, which involves assessing land-use
mix and walkability of neighborhoods, including: adequate sidewalks
and areas for physical activity; accessibility of jobs, schools and
recreation by walking or cycling; availability of public
transportation.

"The concept of population-level interventions to change contexts for
individual behavior is well-known from the experience with tobacco
regulations," Kumanyika said. "Changes in these areas can eventually
become 'normal' and displace the current 'normal' ways of doing
things. Right now, you have to be pretty single-minded to make some of
these choices, such as walking or riding a bike instead of driving. We
advocate changes that will move the social norm to where physical
activity is the custom."


The statement was published in the current issue of Circulation.


More information


The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about the
importance of healthy eating and exercise.





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