It began to go wrong for Cliff Hargrove when he left the woods behind.
Topic: Health Care
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As a forester for the state of Georgia, he had a job that kept him active. About five or six years ago, however, he became an administrator and began spending his time indoors.
"I manage people more than I manage the woods," said Hargrove, 63. It led to weight gain that led to diabetes.
"The doctor kind of laid down the law and said, 'Here's what you've got to do,' " said Hargrove, who has lost 25 pounds since his diagnosis late last year.
Unfortunately, few people in Georgia and South Carolina are joining him.
In the annual F as in Fat report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, both states showed slight increases in the percentage of obese adults. Georgia went from 27.9 percent to 28.1 percent, and South Carolina increased from 29.7 percent to 29.9 percent.
Because other states got fatter, however, both improved their rankings, with South Carolina going from the fifth heaviest to the ninth heaviest and Georgia moving from 14th worst to 17th worst.
For the first time the report looked at rates by race and gender and found some "troubling disparities," said Jeffrey Levi, the executive director of Trust.
In Georgia, for instance, the obesity rate for blacks was 36.5 percent, compared to 25 percent for whites.
In South Carolina, the obesity rates for blacks was 39.4 percent, compared to 26.7 percent for whites. In fact, the obesity rate for blacks was above 35 percent in 34 states, Levi said.
"This is striking since no state had rates of adult obesity above 35 percent for whites," he said.
Those disparities help to explain why 10 of the 11 fattest states are in the South, where race and poverty play a role in driving up obesity rates, said Angela Glover Blackwell, the founder and CEO of PolicyLink research group.
"Where we live has everything to do with how we live," she said. "Children in poor communities and communities of color are often disconnected from healthy options, such as safe places to play and grocery stores where their families can buy healthy foods."
Only about 8 percent of blacks in America live in a Census tract where there is a grocery store, Blackwell said.
President Obama's budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $345 million to help encourage healthy food outlets to locate in low-income areas, she said.
The obesity rates also help explain why both Georgia and South Carolina are in the top 10 for rates of diabetes, with South Carolina claiming the eighth spot and Georgia ninth.
People can make dramatic changes in their diabetes by making small changes and losing weight, said Mary Beth Arnold, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at University Hospital.
Adult obesity rates show a large amount of racial disparity. The obesity rate for blacks was above 35 percent in 34 states; no state had rates higher than 35 percent for whites. Nationwide, obesity rates are highest in the South. Here are the rates by ethnicity in Southern states (margin of error in parentheses):
| WHITE | BLACK | HISPANIC | ||||
| Alabama | 28.3% | (1.1) | 41.7% | (2.4) | 33.2% | (8.7) |
| Arkansas | 29.3% | (1.2) | 39.8% | (4.0) | 29.6% | (6.7) |
| Florida | 23.1% | (0.8) | 36.3% | (3.2) | 27.8% | (3.0) |
| Georgia | 25.0% | (1.0) | 36.5% | (2.4) | 30.2% | (6.4) |
| Kentucky | 29.9% | (1.0) | 42.6% | (5.8) | 27.9% | (8.4) |
| Louisiana | 28.4% | (1.0) | 38.7% | (2.1) | 30.8% | (6.0) |
| Mississippi | 29.3% | (1.0) | 42.9% | (1.8) | 25.6% | (6.7) |
| North Carolina | 27.0% | (0.8) | 41.1% | (2.0) | 25.7% | (4.1) |
| South Carolina | 26.7% | (1.0) | 39.4% | (2.0) | 28.4% | (6.8) |
| Tennessee | 29.8% | (1.2) | 41.1% | (3.9) | 39.5% | (16.4) |
| Virginia | 24.7% | (1.3) | 35.4% | (3.7) | 29.2% | (7.5) |
Source: healthyamericans.org
When I was growing up, my dad used to say: "look at that, everytime she bends her elbow, her mouth opens." Needless to say, I have never been obese. People need to learn how to eat properly and determine what has more nutritional value. The greater problem is, however, the fact that many cannot afford to purchase those foods that have the greater nutritional value. The cost of food has risen to where many can only purchase the least nutritional value--and they eat greater quantities of this food group.
Another problem is: Who decides what obesity really is and how do they determine this definition? Not all folks are obese because they want to be, but there are medical reasons for this (thyroid problems, for example); not only that, certain medications (certain steroids, for example) will cause a person to balloon to such proportions it is unbelievable. A person who has a combined thyroid and diabetic or heart condition stands little chance of shedding those pounds and keeping them off. One can also consider the genetic pattern of families--some are more prone to becoming heavier in weight and there is little that can be done about it.
Healthy Americans.Org needs to address these issues before they spout off at the mouth; they may think they are doing everyone a favor with their statistical reporting, but they also need to reflect the reasoning behind their survey as well as the categories that generate "obesity."
lsmith.. I agree with you.. It has to do with the individual!!
Living health is more about having balance in your life. For me, eating right and exercise is the key. Like the article mentioned, when Hargrove stopped being active, he starting gaining weight. Personally, I enjoy running and walking. When I attend local running and walking events, rarely do I see many of the high risk groups in attendance. I like good food as well, but I understand you must not over do it. People should understand that eating should not be the highlight of your day. They should participate in some type of fitness activity (dancing, walking, biking, gardening, running, swimming, etc.) for at least 30 mins per day. Sounds simple, but seems so hard for many.
Yes, it is cultural, but it is not the culture of good home cooking. It is the culture of Fast Food and Sloth.
I work with a group of people, all intelligent, all knowledgable about health, but they CHOOSE to eat Fried Chicken 2-3 times a week, fried fish on Friday, Hamburgers, Fries, and maybe once a week a salad (with fried toppings). All are washed down with Sodas--sweet or artificial everything varieties. There are healthier offerings available, but they want the Fat , Salt, and the Sugar--every day. Some already have diabetes and high blood pressure, but they choose to ignore it.
I cook every day and cook "home style" several times a week, but in a healthy manner. You can cook a pot of beans with ONE slice of diced bacon and get good flavor and little fat and salt. Mashed potatoes with MAYO! That is a new one on me. The Belgians eat fries with Mayo, but home cooking would be smothered in gravy. Even that can be made healthier--only a little butter, use au jus instead of fatty gravy, light on the salt. Or have a microwaved sweet potato.
Americans have a culture of laziness and self-indulgence. In food this translates into fast food in front of the TV. It often takes me 15-20 minutes to fix a healthy meal of broiled chicken, salad, microwaved "baked" potato, and some fruit for "dessert"--about the length of time it would take to wait in the 10 car line at McDonald's. Afterwards I go to dance class.
Get off the couch and do something healthy--for yourself and your family.
grow your own! read up on john jeavons and biointensive gardening.
Dang I lost 45lbs in the past year and thought that I would make a difference. What we need to do is get ribbons and pass them out to make people aware of the portliness of the state of GA.
Seriously folks, it's really not that hard to loose the fat. You just need to be conscious of what you're putting in your mouth and exercise. You don't need a gym membership to get in shape. There are plenty of free work outs that you can do and plans on the internet you can download. It doesn't cost anything to go jog or bike around town. It doesn't cost anything to get on the Herschel Walker workout (he would do push-ups and sit-ups during commercial breaks while he watched TV as a kid). Get together with friends and play a game: soccer, basketball, football, ultimate, something that gets the heart rate up.
The big thing that helped me out was eating less, but eating more often. Have a big breakfast (you'll burn it off), have a mid morning snack (powerbar, fruit, etc.), a light lunch (something like a salad), an afternoon snack, and a light dinner (this should be the lowest calorie meal of the day because you're not going to burn much sleeping).
I've lost 15 pounds and I'm still losing- we quit going out to eat and I cook from scratch, we now eat very little processed foods.
And I'm disabled, and it's hard for me to be active.
I still eat ice cream and go to McDonald's- I just don't eat French fries.
It's a lot more doable than people think.
lsmith I agree as well. My family moved around a great deal because my father was in the military so we got away from the "home cookin'." However, the older generations continue to pour grease and pork in the food and my family and I literally cannot stomach it because our bodies are just not used to it. Of course we "cannot cook" according to them because we use less grease, rarely use pork and stay away from the salt. I know that some men prefer a woman to have a little meat on their bones, but to be down right obese is not attractive, nor a virtue.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Granted, some people are obese due to a medical condition and nothing short of a miracle can help their situation.
America's poor are the fattest poor people in the world. There is no one going hungry in this country. And, unlike what Michelle Obama & the libs believe, there is NO NEED for government intervention to help them. Just charge obese people more for health insurance (kind of like high risk car insurance). Stop taxing me to pay for "poor" people who can't control their eating!!
Chillen I agree and would add, start taxing the dickens for fast foods. It is obvious that taxing things makes people quit. And while we are at it start taxing the dickens out of alcohol. If we did both, my health insurance would be almost zero.
Unfortunately, private insurance providers aren't setting individual rates solely as a function of individual health. For instance, check out Colorado in that obesity figure -- lowest obesity rates in the country, but their average insurance rates are higher than every one of those purple states except W. Virginia ...
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Data%20Brief/...
You are right burninater, but they should charge based on risk. Car insurance is more expensive for those with more risk. Life insurance is more expensive for the unhealthy. Mortgage & loan rates are higher for those with a higher credit risk.
I'm surprised they don't do it. It would definitely help motivate people.
Think about it. If you knew you could save $50 a month by losing 20 pounds, that would be awesome!
I agree with you Chillen, I think the difference is competition, and more flexible demand, in other insurance markets. Health insurers have a sweet situation where they are selling a product that, without which, individuals can face HUGE liabilities -- and they are doing so in markets with little to no competition (i.e., a given state may only have 2-3 available providers). I suspect their pricing is based on the maximum amount they can get people and employers to pay rather than any kind of free market force.
Only 8% of black Americans lived in a census tract with at least one supermarket; 31% of Whites live in a census tract with at least one supermarket. Morland et al. “The Contextual Effect of the Local Food Environment on Residents’ Diets,” American Journal of Public Health. November 2002, Vol. 92, No. 11.
But what if it's not so much about supermarkets, but about cultural differences? What if white culture promotes thinness as being the most attractive, but black culture promotes the idea that skinny people are not attractive? And considering the amount of anoxeria and eating disorders among whites, who's to say that they are wrong?
Where is the ourtrage of this sin of gluttony? Are the all-knowing judegmental Christians going to bark out that there is no place in the kingdom of God for these people? Are they going to protest outside of Ryans, Golden Corral, and the buffet restaurants and shout their Bible verses?
Smell the hypocrisy!!!
I should think their sin, Baron ( if that is how you wish to refer to it) is between them and their God.
I had a bacon cheeseburger for lunch...but, I also jogged 5 miles today. Throw a little exercise in the mix, you can still eat the same old crap but it won't have such a drastic effect on your waistline.
dominionfs - then why the outrage and protests from the judgemental Christians of the gay parade and the X-Mart and the destruction of billboards in Charlotte?
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