[View the story "The US obesity threat" on Storify ]The US obesity threat Will this generation of US children be the first to live shorter lives than their parents? Storified by The Stream · Mon, Oct 01 2012 10:56:59
In response to growing concern over the rise of obesity rates in the US, many leaders have chosen to speak out against the trend. An organization of retired military leaders,
Mission: Readiness , recently released a
report “calling on Congress to pass new child nutritionlegislation that would (a) get the junk food out of our schools; (b) supportincreased funding to improve nutritional standards and the quality of mealsserved in schools; and (c) provide more children access to effective programsthat cut obesity". The first
graph below tracks the sharp rise in childhood obesity rates in the US, while the second
graph describes the increasing rates of obesity among adults over the last three decades.
Stephanie d'Otreppe/NPRAJstream
http://www.ourdailybreadoftn.orgAJstream
The following timeline shows the general increase in obesity rates across the US:
The Official US Obesity Rates Timelinebuzzfeed
With nearly one in three US children overweight or obese, US First Lady Michelle Obama has also gotten involved in addressing the issue. She launched the
Let's Move campaign to promote nutritional education and an active lifestyle, while also working on policies to ensure American children have access to healthy foods in schools. Let's Move helped usher in the
Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 , which enabled the US Department of Agriculture to set nutritional standards in schools, such as increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables. In the two videos below, Michelle Obama discusses the Let's Move campaign.
Interview with First Lady Michelle Obama Part 1: The Second Anniversary of Let's Move!thescholasticchannel
Interview with First Lady Michelle Obama Part 2: The First Lady Gets Kids Movingthescholasticchannel
The Mission: Readiness report also
stated that "nearly half of the states have no nutrition standards for unhealthy foods sold in schools and only one has adopted most of the Institute of Medicine's recommendations". Below is an
infographic that shows the lack of healthy food options in US schools.
http://lemonwooddesign.com/index.php?/graphic/infographics/AJstream
Not all Americans have supported the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. With American high school students limited to 850 calories per school day under the new guidelines, Wisconsin high school students recently
boycotted the regulations while high school students in Kansas created the viral video below expressing their frustration over the new policies.
We Are Hungryblk5348
Commercials in Minnesota have garnered
controversy for the way they discuss the issue of obesity. Created by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the ads (below) attempt to show how obesity can be encouraged inter-generationally when children imitate the behaviours of their parents. In a
report describing the public perceptions of obesity-related health messages, researchers at Yale University found that "messages that were perceived to be most positive and motivating made no mention of the word 'obesity' at all, and instead focused on making healthy behavioural changes without reference to body weight".
Eating Outbluecrossofmn
Shoppingbluecrossofmn
Food deserts, or neighbourhoods in which citizens lack access to healthy food options, also make it challenging to decrease obesity rates in poverty-stricken areas.
Volunteers in US cities such as Chicago have reached out to convenience store owners in food deserts throughout the city to encourage them to provide healthy options for their customers. Additionally, a campaign called
Neighborhood Carts has enabled Chicago's homeless and at-risk population to set up their own businesses by operating food stands throughout the city. Pictured below, the US Department of Agriculture has created an
interactive map to help citizens identify food deserts across the country.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-desert-locator/go-to-the-locator.aspxAJstream
Schools across the US are demonstrating successful ways of integrating healthy foods into schools. The
Vetri Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania encourages a healthy lifestyle through family-style dining by making the lunch experience more social and engaging. Below is a video which explores the methods used by the Vetri Foundation's
Eatiquette program.
The Vetri Foundation's Eatiquette Programvetrifamily
Sugar-filled drinks such as sodas are a
leading cause of obesity. As a result, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently imposed a
ban on soda drinks larger than 16 ounces throughout the city. Some
claim the ban disproportionately impacts small neighbourhood stores, while the
infographic below shows that the majority of consumers in the city oppose the ban.
http://www.supermarketnews.comAJstream
As obesity rates increase, so does the likelihood of diabetes and heart disease. The US National Institute of Health (NIH)
reported that "life expectancy for the average American could decline by as much as 5 years unless aggressive efforts are made to slow rising rates of obesity". Dr. S. Jay Olshanksy was part of the research team that published the study, and recently
discussed new research that suggests education levels may also have implications on life expectancy. Dr. S. Jay Olshanksy joins The Stream in this episode to discuss his findings.
The graph below captures the implication of obesity on mortality rates in the US.
http://www.marinaweightloss.com/obesity/AJstream
Below is a more detailed
break down of mortality rates across races and educational levels:
NY TimesAJstream
The following
infographic demonstrates the health care costs that come with rising levels of obesity:
http://www.medicalcodingcareerguide.com/AJstream
Netizens on Twitter joined the discussion by suggesting ways to combat obesity in the US.
The one sentence responsible for most cases of obesity is "finish your plate".Adly
The easiest way to rid of obesity in this country is to have cell phones that will only charge while using a treadmill.Aaron
The world needs artwork which shows how suburbia is one of the leading causes of obesity, lethargy and cultural commercialization.Radical Art Ideas
