If you're humming "That's what I like
about the South" to yourself, does anything cooked in bacon
grease come to mind? If so, join the crowd.
And it's quite a crowd. A big one. A recent survey of
eating habits found that the state with the largest increase
in citizens considered obese was Alabama, where the rate went
up 1.5 points to 27.7 percent. The Associated Press report
continues to note that keeping up with Alabama relative to
percentages of increases in how citizens are increasing were
Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee.
South Carolina and Georgia residents are also apparently
finding it hard to back away from the table. In Georgia, 24.5
percent of the people are considered obese, an increase of 0.7
percent. South Carolina's percentages are even higher, 25.1
and 0.9 respectively. The data, compiled by the Centers for
Disease Control, covers three years, from 2002 to 2004 and
compares that figure to the average weight increase from 2001
to 2003.
It shouldn't be surprising. We all know that here in the
South, if it doesn't have real butter as an ingredient or
isn't covered in gravy, we're not sure we're getting something
from all the major food groups.
They're slimming down at a better rate in Colorado,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Montana.
Perhaps those are states where there are more outdoor
activities; they're also states where the humidity level
doesn't take precedence over the temperature on weather
reports.
It's not just what we're doing; it's what we're not doing
as well. We're not exercising enough. We're watching too much
television and spending too much time at the computer. Young
people, who one might think would be more active, aren't
faring much better than the rest of us. Many schools don't
have mandatory physical education classes anymore, at least
not on the level many of us can remember, one class period per
day, five days per week.
And while many systems are advocating healthier eating
habits during the school day by watching what's offered in the
cafeteria and banning some traditional snacks from campus,
it's all for naught if parents don't set a good example at
home.
Despite our poking fun at our own eating habits, being a
nation of overweight people is nothing to laugh about. It's
not only affecting our health, it's having an impact on our
wallets. The report on the CDC figures, released by the Trust
for America's Health, notes that taxpayers spent $39 billion
in 2003 for the treatment of conditions attributable to
obesity, as treatment for such diseases is mandatory under
Medicare and Medicaid laws.
We'd have to agree that one of the things that should be
changed about our system is more attention to preventative
care, that we are more proactive about our health than
reactive. We all need a major shift in attitude, to do things
that keep us healthy rather than waiting until we're sick and
then seeking treatment for a disease without doing much about
the habits that got us there.
We've gotten that message more than once from the example
in our governor's office.
We've both agreed and disagreed with some of the points
that Gov. Mark Sanford has raised during his tenure. But his
emphasis, along with that of First Lady Jenny Sanford, on
exercise, sensible eating habits and overcoming habits that
work against us, is something we can heartily endorse.
Aren't we all looking for a way to better our lives? Taking
better care of ourselves is a good way to
start.
