Obesity Is Soaring in America

[Guest guest]

Here is another article I found!!

Obesity Is Soaring in America

By SHELLEY HILL

..c The Associated Press

ATLANTA (Oct. 26) - Americans are getting fatter, and the South - where meals

are often finger-lickin' good and steamy summers lead to days of lounging

inside - is leading the way.

A study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

showed that the number of Americans considered obese - defined as being more

than 30 percent over their ideal body weight - soared from about one in eight

in 1991 to nearly one in five last year.

In the Southeast, the obesity rate jumped 67.2 percent in that time frame.

Georgia led the nation with a 101.8 percent increase.

While traditional Southern cooking - fried chicken, potato salad, barbecue -

is often high in fat, experts say Southerners' diets are now not much

different from those in the rest of the country.

The more likely reason for the increase in portliness below the Mason-Dixon

line is a lack of exercise. Southerners are less likely to hike, ride a bike,

walk or join a health club than their counterparts in the rest of the nation,

according to Georgia's Division of Public Health.

The lowest obesity rates were in New England and in the West, where people

are more active. Even there, though, obesity rates are on the rise.

Some blame Southern weather, saying the summers are too hot for people to get

outside.

''If they don't get out in the morning, they don't exercise,'' said Harry

DuVal, director of the University of Georgia fitness center. ''They go in and

find air conditioning.''

Others, including Dr. Dietz, one of the study's co-authors, blame the

design of modern suburbs. Dietz points out that the sprawl around Atlanta

keeps people trapped in their cars for hours, encourages them to eat greasy

fast food and prevents them from having enough time to exercise.

The period measured in the study coincides with a time of rapid population

growth around Atlanta. In 1991, Georgia had one of the lowest obesity rates

in the country.

''Atlanta is not a walkable community,'' said Pam , a dietitian with

Georgia's division of public health. ''We don't have sidewalks that lead

anywhere.''

The CDC study, announced Tuesday at the AMA's annual Science Reporters

Convention, was based on telephone surveys of more than 100,000 participants

each year between 1991 and '98.

Younger adults, people with some college education and Hispanics showed the

most drastic increases. But the study found ''a steady increase'' in all

states; in both sexes; across age groups, races and educational levels; and

regardless of smoking status.

Overall, the population of obese men and women in the United States increased

from 12 percent in 1991 to 17.9 percent last year, according to the CDC

survey, which said that figure might be conservative.

The study was to be published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical

Association, along with other studies on obesity.

CDC Director P. Koplan said a national strategy is needed to combat

obesity.

''In general, restoring physical activity to our daily routines is

critical,'' he said.

AP-NY-10-26-99 1919EDT

Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news

report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed

without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active

hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Hugs

Penny---Ohio

173/157/130

Goal for Oct 31st-----155

!!!!!!!!Go Dolphins!!!!!!!!!

List Co-Moderator---ICQ#51429926

http://members.xoom.com/Shadcat708/LC.html

http://www.geocities.com/shadcat708/The__Home.html