Lately there has been a lot of focus on obesity in the United States, especially from the government. Following Jamie Oliver's example from "Food Revolution," many cities, counties, states, and even the federal government are addressing the problem of obesity. When I first heard that the new federal health care bill will soon required restaurants to make calorie counts readily available to their customers I was ecstatic. I think this was something that needed to be done a long time ago, because people go to a restaurant and order a salad and have no idea that the salad could be 800 calories. So when Texas governments began to follow in the federal governments footsteps, I was even more excited.
According to Debra King (Austin American-Statesman), 30 percent of Texas children are overweight or obese. In Lubbock, where about 38% of Lubbock County residents were obese in 2007, they are working on a healthy dining guide to provide residents with healthy choices at restaurants in the area. I know I'm guilty of this as most people are, but when I go out to eat I have no idea how many calories I am consuming. Actually, I have no idea how many calories I consume at home.
My girlfriend works for the Texas Department of State Health Services, and they provide many wellness services to their employees. She has access to a worksite wellness program which provides fitness rooms, fitness classes, and a farm to work program. I think more programs like this should be provided to employees, as it would most likely cut insurance costs because healthy employees would not have to go to the doctor as often.
It makes me happy that different levels of government are addressing the issue of obesity, but why is this all just starting now. Being overweight and obese have been problems that have been around for a long time. I think more cities and counties in Texas should jump on the healthy bandwagon and encourage their citizens to make a change in their lives.
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Obesity In Our Youth
ReplyDeleteI can definitely empathize with Nick’s enthusiasm for the upcoming mandate for restaurants to disclose dietary information for all meals offered; this is long overdue and is just one step in the battle against obesity. Nick also mentioned that 30% of Texas children are overweight or obese, in an article out of Windows on State Government, titled “Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Workforce,” obesity in adolescence is broken down into 42% of 4th graders, 39% of 8th graders, and 36% of 11th graders are at high risk of becoming overweight or obese. Putting calorie counts on menus is a great start to the fight but educating our youth on how to eat and live healthy is imperative in order to see change. The Texas Children’s Healthcare Plan offers a program called “Keep Fit Club,” this club is available for overweight or obese kids 10-18 years old, already enrolled in the healthcare plan. The club meets every Saturday where lessons for the whole family are taught on healthy eating choices and some type of physical activity is done as well. Today’s children are our tomorrow’s future, I know it sounds cliché, but they are; they are going to be the ones to build our buildings, nurse our sick, run our state, etc…If we don’t tackle the immediate crisis of obesity in our youth now then our future as well as theirs could be very short lived.
A Look Into the "Obesity Craze"
ReplyDeleteI find myself agreeing with Nick’s blog post, Obesity Craze. I hope that all restaurants are required to post their menu item’s calories, but I would go a step further. I recently visited a friend in New York City. She was born and raised in Austin and, like most women, has struggled in the past with dieting. She’s currently a personal trainer who is very heath conscious about what she eats. In 2005, the New York City Board of Health passed a law requiring some restaurants to post calorie counts. It was met, as most ideas of change, with some resistance. Some restaurants didn’t want to post and found loopholes around it. Also, some consumers were unappreciative and didn’t want to see or know how many calories they were consuming. Well, whether you want to see it or not, we as a society have a responsibility to ourselves, our children, and even each other to take control and responsibility of a huge problem in this nation. With all of the negative consequences of not taking care of yourself, most importantly disease and death, there’s no excuse to fight this law. I support it wholly and am excited about the possibility of a positive change. I believe New York has added more nutritional facts to their menus as well, going beyond just listing calories so that consumers can keep track of sodium, carbs and fats consumed throughout the day.
At the end of his blog, Nick posed the question: why is the government addressing this issue now? The way I see it, Americans have been trying various kinds of diets for decades. Television shows like The Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution shine a light on what many of us strive for. Many people I’ve spoken to would like to be healthier, in general, to sustain longevity in life. As for the government involvement, requests from constituents who have been inspired by these shows, or something like it, could be a factor. Personally, when times get dark or tough for me, I like to focus on the things I can control. With our economy and the government in an unstable, reconstructive state, the time for change is now and it will be a positive addition to our state and our country.
I will end by quoting Nick’s ending statement “I think more cities and counties in Texas should jump on the healthy bandwagon and encourage their citizens to make a change in their lives.” Here here!
I agree with one my classmate’s blog Obesity Craze. This is a well-written blog. He provides his own experience for insight as well as ideas beneficial to reducing American obesity. Obesity is a current major problem in the United States. According to CBS news, 190 million people are obese or overweight in America, and childhood obesity has triple in the past thirty years. I believe having restaurants provide the calorie count in the menus is a step forward in lowering the percentage of obese people, who are more susceptible to health problems. However, I believe the consumer must be just as concerned as the government in order for this to be one effective method. If a person does not believe they are obese or simply do not care, then having the number of calories on the menu will not be useful. I believe restaurants should also be required to use healthier cooking methods.
ReplyDeleteI think schools should have psychologists and nutritionists on their staff, so that children can talk to someone about why they are consuming immense amounts of food or why eating healthy and exercising is important to their health. I am an athlete and I even find myself eating because I’m bored and have nothing better to do. I just think as a whole the United States need to become more concerned on this issue.
I have to say this is something I feel very strongly about. I am so glad that steps are being taken to curb obesity but I feel the same as Nick that this should have been started a long time ago. I guess the biggest effects of the overload of technology and devices that do not promote physical activity has really become so apparent in the last ten years or so. What happened to PE everyday in elementary school like when we were kids. Personally I would rather the day be alittle bit longer for my kids and have that available to them than not. It isn't offered until 7th grade now to do that and join athletics. By that time kids have already put on extra weight that could have been curved. Ofcourse most of the responsibility belongs to the parents. Parents need to turn of the TV, computer and video games and kick their butts out the door and say go climb a tree, ride your bike or something! They're missing out on some of the best parts of being kid.
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