As a longtime health journalist, I was invited to go to the CDC’s conference on obesity prevention and control, The Weight of the Nation, this week in DC. I couldn’t make it, but will, of course, bring you some of the highlights.

At the conference today, the CDC released a study that estimates the medical cost of obesity may be as high as $147 billion a year – about double what it was in 1998. Results show overall, obese people spent $1,429 (42 percent) more for medical care in 2006 than did those at a healthy weight. You can see a list of diseases linked to obesity here.

Researchers also talked about how it’s going to take a community effort to reverse the obesity epidemic rather than an individual one.

What do you think? Is going to “take a village” to change things?

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Some encouraging news about obesity rates in children. A new government report finds obesity has stabilized in the past five years at about one in seven preschool-age children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 14.6 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds were obese in 2008, about the same as in 2003 – that’s compared to 12.4 percent in 1998. Researchers say the results are encouraging, but stress there are still too many kids who are obese and that the battle isn’t over yet.

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Obesity rates are still going up, up, up! A new report looks at obesity per state and finds the number of obese adults has increased in 23 states and did not go down in any states in the past year. In other words, we are fatter now than we were a year ago.

The report – F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009 – comes from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It shows Mississippi has the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent – the fifth year in a row the state has topped the list. Colorado has the lowest rate of obese adults – 18.9 percent.

F as in Fat: Quick Stats

• Two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight.
• In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.
• In 1980, the national average for adult obesity was 15 percent.

State-by-State: Adult Obesity
1. Mississippi (32.5%)
2. Alabama (31.2%)
3. West Virginia (31.1%)
4. Tennessee (30.2%)
5. South Carolina (29.7%)
6. Oklahoma (29.5%)
7. Kentucky (29.0%)
8. Louisiana (28.9%)
9. Michigan (28.8%)
10. (tie) Arkansas (28.6%) and Ohio (28.6%)
12. North Carolina (28.3%) 13. Missouri (28.1%)
14. (tie) Georgia (27.9%) and Texas (27.9%)
16. Indiana (27.4%) 17. Delaware (27.3%)
18. (tie) Alaska (27.2%) and Kansas (27.2%)
20. (tie) Nebraska (26.9%) and South Dakota (26.9%)
22. (tie) Iowa (26.7%) and North Dakota (26.7%) and Pennsylvania (26.7%)
25. (tie) Maryland (26.0%) and Wisconsin (26.0%)
27. Illinois (25.9%)
28. (tie) Oregon (25.4%) and Virginia (25.4%) and Washington (25.4%)
31. Minnesota (25.3%)
32. Nevada (25.1)
33. (tie) Arizona (24.8%) and Idaho (24.8%)
35. Maine (24.7%)
36. New Mexico (24.6%)
37. New York (24.5%)
38. Wyoming (24.3%)
39. (tie) Florida (24.1%) and New Hampshire (24.1%)
41. California (23.6%)
42. New Jersey (23.4%)
43. Montana (22.7%)
44. Utah (22.5%)
45. District of Columbia (22.3%)
46. Vermont (22.1%)
47. Hawaii (21.8%)
48. Rhode Island (21.7%)
49. Connecticut (21.3%)
50. Massachusetts (21.2%)
51. Colorado (18.9%)

Our Nation’s Children

• The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
• Mississippi also had the highest rate of obese and overweight children (ages 10 to 17) at 44.4 percent.
• Minnesota and Utah had the lowest rate at 23.1 percent.
• Eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of obese and overweight children are in the South.
• Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.

State-by-State: Obese and Overweight Children Ages 10-17
1. Mississippi (44.4%)
2. Arkansas (37.5%)
3. Georgia (37.3%)
4. Kentucky (37.1%)
5. Tennessee (36.5%)
6. Alabama (36.1%)
7. Louisiana (35.9%)
8. West Virginia (35.5%)
9. District of Columbia (35.4%)
10. Illinois (34.9%)
11. Nevada (34.2%)
12. Alaska (33.9%)
13. South Carolina (33.7%)
14. North Carolina (33.5%)
15. Ohio (33.3%)
16. Delaware (33.2%)
17. Florida (33.1%)
18. New York (32.9%)
19. New Mexico (32.7%)
20. Texas (32.2%)
21. Nebraska (31.5%)
22. Kansas (31.1%)
23. (tie) Missouri (31.0%) and New Jersey (31.0%) and Virginia (31.0%)
26. (tie) Arizona (30.6%) and Michigan (30.6%)
28. California (30.5%)
29. Rhode Island (30.1%)
30. Massachusetts (30.0%)
31. Indiana (29.9%)
32. Pennsylvania (29.7%)
33. (tie) Oklahoma (29.5%) and Washington (29.5%)
35. New Hampshire (29.4%)
36. Maryland (28.8%)
37. Hawaii (28.5%)
38. South Dakota (28.4%)
39. Maine (28.2%)
40. Wisconsin (27.9%)
41. Idaho (27.5%)
42. Colorado (27.2%)
43. Vermont (26.7%)
44. Iowa (26.5%)
45. (tie) Connecticut (25.7%) and North Dakota (25.7%) and Wyoming (25.7%)
48. Montana (25.6%)
49. Oregon (24.3%)
50. (tie) Minnesota (23.1%) and Utah (23.1%)

The report says the tough economy could make the obesity epidemic even worse. Food prices, especially for more nutritious foods, are expected to go up, making it harder for families to eat a healthy diet. Plus rates of depression, anxiety, and stress – which are linked to obesity for many people – are also increasing because of the strain of the recession.

You can see the full report here.
Compare it to last year’s report here.

[Photo Credit: stockxpert]

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Could a higher tax on sugary drinks help fight the obesity epidemic? Some researchers say yes. And they propose a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages like soda, sports drinks and sugar-sweetened fruit juice and iced tea. They say the tax could help fight obesity because people would be more likely to choose healthier drinks, which are now usually more expensive, plus raising billions of dollars would help state and local governments pay for programs.

What do you think? Is taxing sugary drinks a good solution?

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Recruiting emergency responders who are in tip top shape is key so that they can handle the physical demands of their jobs. But a new study in the journal Obesity finds the obesity epidemic is filling the pool of candidates with heavier choices. Researchers say more than 75 percent of emergency responder candidates for fire and ambulance services in Massachusetts are either overweight or obese, which could hamper public health and safety.

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More disturbing news about the effects of obesity on children – A new report finds overweight preschoolers as young as age three can begin to show signs of heart disease. Researchers say kids with high BMIs and large waist circumferences are more likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein and lower levels of HDL cholesterol – both risk factors of heart disease – than children who are at a normal weight.

Here are more posts on children and obesity:

Obesity epidemic hits toddlers

Obese kids have middle-aged arteries

How to talk to your kids about obesity

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You’ve heard how devastating the effects of obesity can be on your child’s health. Headlines like these seem to be growing:

• Obese kids have middle-aged arteries
• Some teens so heavy, they need liver transplants
• Obesity epidemic hits toddlers

Of course, you don’t want your kids’ weight to take its toll on their health. But talking to them about obesity can be a touchy subject. You have to know what to say… and what not to say.

No forbidden foods

You may have good intentions when you tell your kids not to eat certain foods – like maybe something that’s loaded with fat and calories. But psychologist, Dr. Stacey of Every Woman has an Eating Disorder, says telling them they can’t eat something could backfire.

“Two things can happen,” she explains. “They think fat is bad or carbs are bad so they just stop eating them or really restrict them. Then you have someone who could potentially become anorexic. Or if they feel deprived either physiologically or psychologically, there’s a tendency to compensate and overeat or binge eat.”

Health versus weight

So how should you talk to kids about obesity? Dr. Stacey says it’s critical to take the emphasis off of weight and instead focus on how healthy eating and healthy exercise are good for your body.

“If we focus on what a healthy diet can do for you, for your body, instead of how it’s going to make you look, and focus on how exercise is good for you rather than how it’s going to make you look, it’s a movement in the right direction,” she says.

Body image expert, Leslie Goldman of Never Say Diet, agrees. She says a good place to teach kids about healthy foods is at the grocery store.

“If they point to something on the shelf, say, ‘What does this have that’s good for us? How can this make you stronger? Does it have calcium in it? Does it have fruits and vegetables? Maybe something like this would be a better choice.’ Make it part of the learning experience,” she explains. “That way they still have a role in picking it but you’re not saying, ‘No, that’s too fattening.”

It’s all in the language

It may seem strange, but if you have a child who is overweight, both experts stress, don’t even mention weight. So, what should you say?

“Let’s go for a walk today. It feels good to exercise. It’s good for our bodies,” suggests Dr. Stacey,

Goldman adds, “Encourage them to get involved in physical activities that will help them move. But never say to them, ‘You’re heavy’ or ‘You’re fat.’ That could just destroy a child.”

Watch your words

We’ve stressed before how parents are role models when it comes to diet and exercise. And the same goes for how you talk about yourself and food when you’re around your kids.

Goldman, says, “If you’re turning around in the mirror looking at yourself from behind saying, ‘Oh my God – my butt is so huge’ or ‘I hate my thighs’ or you’re at the restaurant and you say ‘Oh I can’t get the fettucine, it’s so fattening’, your kids are going to pick up on that.”

So, watch what you say. Use the right words to get your kids to eat right and exercise. Their healthy weight is sure to follow.

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The obesity epidemic can take its toll even on infants. New research shows babies born to obese mothers are more at risk for dying, especially during the first weeks of life, compared to those born to normal-weight mothers. While the risk went up for obese women no matter how much weight they gained, the study finds the risk of babies dying tripled among moms who gained the most weight – one pound or more each week.

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This year, we cheered as the world’s heaviest man lost 500 pounds then got hitched, we wondered why some of our favorite foods suddenly looked smaller, and worried when the worst foodborne outbreak in a decade spread across the country. Here’s a look back at the year’s headlines in food, fitness, and fat – The top 8 of ‘08:

Hold the tomatoes, hold the peppers…
Tomatoes and peppers were pulled from store shelves and restaurants when a massive salmonella outbreak started in April. It took the government several months to figure out what caused it, making many people question our nation’s food safety system. When it was over, 1,400 people had gotten sick across the country.

F as in Fat
The obesity epidemic continued to climb – up in 37 states – with predictions that 86-percent of Americans could be overweight by 2030 if things don’t change soon. The epidemic brought sobering news about how obesity is affecting children with an influential physicians’ group urging young kids to take cholesterol drugs, and a new report showing the arteries of obese kids can be just as clogged as those of a 45-year-old.

Happy Anniversary (the BIG 5-0) to the Hula Hoop
It was the Hula Hoop’s anniversary – the golden one already? Seems as though it’s come, well… full circle over the years.  Just one year after it came out, the company that makes the hip toy sold more than 100 million Hula Hoops. Fifty years later, the hoop is regaining its popularity as a fun and challenging way to exercise – it’s even a featured activity on Nintendo’s new Wii Fit.

World’s heaviest man marries
First, Manuel Uribe made headlines when he lost 500+ pounds (he used to weigh 1,234 pounds). Then the world cheered him on as he married his longtime girlfriend in Mexico in October. Uribe has not left his bed for six years. His doctors want him to lose a total of 1,000 pounds.

Diabetes doubles
Diabetes is skyrocketing in the United States. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the rate of new cases of the disease has nearly doubled over the past 10 years. The main reasons? The growing number of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. About 1.6 million people age 20 or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes just last year.

Show me the calories
Calorie counts started popping up at restaurants across the country as laws passed in New York City, California, and Philadelphia requiring them to post calories on their menus. Fast food chains like KFC, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver’s also announced they would start putting calories on menu boards in their restaurants nationwide.

Honey, they shrunk the food…
With the cost of ingredients and fuel for delivery going up, some food companies are making their products smaller but selling them for the same price – giving us less, instead of raising their prices. Shrinking products include Breyers ice cream, Mini BabyBel Cheese discs, some varieties of Yoplati yogurt, and Sun Chips Garden Salsa snacks.

Oprah up again
Oprah has been yo-yo-ing for years and this year, she’s back up again. Winfrey says she now weighs 200 pounds and has “fallen off the wagon” when it comes to healthy living. She’s gained 40 pounds back since 2006. She’s expected to talk candidly about her weight on her show in January.

Did you remember all those?

What will 2009 hold? Sign up for FatFighterTV’s daily updates for the very latest. Plus you’ll get the FREE e-book, “Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals”

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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More devastating effects of the obesity epidemic – A new study finds the arteries of obese children and teens can be just as clogged as those of a 45-year-old. When scientists from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine used ultrasound imaging to look at the neck arteries of obese kids, they found fatty deposits more typical in middle-aged adults – plaque build-up often linked to heart attacks or strokes.

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