Obesity initiative undergoing final review
State is trying to equip Virginians with a plan for healthy lifestyles
BY TAMMIE SMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Aug 24, 2006
Virginia officials are doing a final review of a health department initiative to address obesity in the state.
About 60 percent of Virginia adults are overweight or obese, according to a federal survey done periodically of health-risk behaviors. Research studies out this week show that carrying even a few extra pounds increases health risks.
"An extra 10 pounds on your body over the years could have severe complications," said Jeremy Akers, obesity-prevention nutritionist at the Virginia Department of Health. He was not surprised by the study results; past studies have reached similar conclusions.
Such problems as heart disease, high cholesterol and hypertension are associated with obesity, as well as problems with knees, hips and other joints.
Last year, state health department officials held a series of meetings in Virginia to get community input on how to prevent and control obesity. Health officials say comments and strategies from those discussions have been put into a report that is undergoing final review.
The final product, Akers said, will be coordinated with the state's Healthy Virginians program started by then-Gov. Mark R. Warner. That program promotes healthy behaviors among state employees, schoolchildren and Medicaid enrollees.
In a related effort, the state Board of Health has made addressing the toll of chronic diseases on the health of Virginians a top priority. Obesity is a leading risk factor for such chronic diseases as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
"What this research has done is simply further validate the impact that aberrant behavior, and the traits that we all know about, contribute to less than optimal outcomes," said Jack O. Lanier, chairman of the Virginia Board of Health.
Obesity is partly a result of the "richness of our society. We have developed a fairly attractive way of life in America," Lanier said. "How do you get people to take charge of their own life and lifestyle and make the decision, the sacrifice, to say I am going to minimize my caloric intake and make a conscious decision to exercise daily?"
The 2005 federal survey of health-risk behaviors noted that in Virginia:
70 percent of those surveyed said they did not get the recommended 20 or more minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more days per week.
Only about 26 percent consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
The 2005 survey polled about 5,000 Virginians.
Obesity Initiative