William Erskine

Letter to the Editor

Obesity is a serious epidemic that has taken the nation by a storm. In

1990, the obesity rates for individual states ranged from 6.9% in Colorado to

15% in Mississippi. Now, in 2016, every single state comes in above the 20%

mark for obesity with the highest at 36.2% in Louisiana. Ohio, specifically,

was at 11.3% in 1995 and peaked at 32.6% in 2014 before dropping to

29.8% in 2015. The evidence is clear; we have seen a nationwide increase at

catastrophic rates over the last 25 years, (stateofobesity.org).

The trends are currently showing that the childhood obesity rates have

leveled off and the increases in adult obesity rates are leveling off. Although

this is progress, the rates are still significantly higher than they were one

generation ago and accepting a slow in increases as a win is simply not

something we can do. We must look further at this issue to find ways to

begin working these rates down to a more acceptable rate.

Obesity can be a risk factor or comorbidity to a plethora of serious

diseases including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart

attacks, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, and

sleep apnea according to the CDC. Many Americans report factors that often

dictate their food choices to be time, convenience, and price. General trends

in America, when considering this lifestyle, show that unhealthy food/ fast

food would be the food of choice. When considering convenience foods there
are healthy options, however; they are often significantly less cost friendly

and/or more difficult to find/limited in options.

Ultimately we as a community and a nation need to acknowledge the

reality of this situation and work toward potential solution plans including a

variety of approaches which may include higher sin tax on certain foods,

tax breaks/subsidies on healthier options, health promotion programs, and

financial aid for fitness programs/facilities.

References

Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences. (2016, August 15). Retrieved October

10, 2016, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html

Obesity Rates & Trends. (2016, September). Retrieved October 10, 2016,

from http://stateofobesity.org/rates/