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2005/5/4-5 [Health/Disease/General] UID:37524 Activity:nil |
5/4 Fat states tend to be Red states: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155416,00.html |
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www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155416,00.html STORIES America's 2005 obesity "report card" shows some progress among states but plenty of room for improvement. Released by the University of Baltimore's Obesity Initiative, the report awarded only one "A." California took that honor for its attempt to cont rol childhood obesity. However, California's overall grade for its effor ts to address the obesity epidemic (not just among school children) was a "B." About a quarter of states earned a failing grade for efforts to control c hildhood obesity, the report card states. "Given the importance of estab lishing healthy habits early in life, the results are very disappointing ," write the researchers. Overall Grades Here are the grades for state overall efforts to control obesity (states listed in alphabetical order): A: No states. Grades were based on legislation introduced and/or passed by the sta tes on eight topics: nutrition standards; The researchers looked at each state 's most recent legislative session. To receive an "A," states had to successfully pass a law related to obesi ty. Points were awarded if legislation was introduced but not passed. "I ntroducing legislation at least indicates some awareness and the presenc e of a will directed to controlling obesity," notes the report card. Researchers working on the report card included Kenneth R Stanton, PhD, MBA, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Baltimore's business school. B ut they say some states with high obesity rates "are lagging in taking c orrective steps." For instance, the report card states that according to the CDC, Mississip pi had the nation's highest obesity rate in 2001. Mississippi earned poi nts for passing legislation on recess/physical education requirements an d establishing an obesity commission. But only the recess/physical educa tion law is likely to have any near-term impact, according to the report card. The research ers say both states have proposed obesity legislation but no laws were s uccessfully passed. "Overall, states have been slow to recognize the need for prompt actions that may have a more immediate effect," write researchers. "The absence of significant state efforts to address the epidemic is disturbing." Hot Topics The top three areas of proposed legislation among the states were: Recess/physical education requirements (27 states) Nutrition standards (23 states) Vending machine restrictions (21 states) Fourteen states tried to pass laws regarding BMI assessment of school chi ldren, and 13 attempted to pass laws mandating curricula to address nutr ition education and obesity awareness. Less than five states had propose d legislation for obesity research. State Obesity Rates The CDC's 2003 Behavioral Risk Surveillance Survey lists adult obesity ra tes for each state. Research Diseases and Conditions From allergies to heart disease to feeling your best, visit WebMD's Healt h Centers. Get the Latest Wellness News Find expert tips, reports on the latest studies, and health information f or the whole family. Test Your Health Knowledge How much do you really know about your own health? |