Weighing in on Obesity

By David A. Johnson MD, Medical Director, Signature Care

Friday, January 11th, 2008; Posted: 10:45 a.m.

The most recent data on obesity in this country has placed Indiana as the 9th most obese state in the nation. Last year's analysis had Indiana at number eight. Before we congratulate ourselves on getting into better shape, it should be pointed out that Indiana did not lower its obesity rate. It actually went up. What dropped Indiana on the list is that other states became significantly heavier. In fact, no state improved their obesity rate. Thirty states went up and twenty one stayed statistically the same. (These numbers add to 51 because Washington D.C. was counted individually). The percentage of obese people in Indiana was 26.8% (obesity is defined as a body mass index-BMI-of over 30). The percentage of overweight (BMI over 25) and obese people together is 62.5%. That means that almost 2/3rds of our Hoosier citizens are carrying too much weight. The heaviest state, by the way, was Mississippi with 30.6% obesity-the first time a state grew higher than 30%. The leanest state was Colorado with a 17.6% obesity rate. While this state had the lowest obesity rate, it still showed a significant increase from the previous year.

Despite government programs, prescription and over-the-counter weight loss supplements, fad diets, and infomercial gimmicks, the rate of obesity continues to climb. What can be done to reverse the trend? A previous article on food labeling from March of 2007 gave many tips and guides for eating in a healthy fashion. Please check them out. Here are some additional hints to gear toward weight reduction and maintenance:

• The absolute, undeniable truth about weight loss is that you must burn more calories than you take in. Therefore, the only way to take off weight is to reduce calories taken in or increase calories burned with activity. (Doing both would be great!) Any weight loss scheme that does not hinge on the above statement is not going to be successful.
• Weight loss and weight maintenance needs to be a way of life, not a diet or fad. Diet plans that promote rapid weight loss are much less likely to be able to attain or maintain a lower weight. Drastic or wholly unbalanced diets are also not going to be tolerated for very long and failure is likely. Just cutting 500 calories per day (or burning an extra 500 calories per day) will achieve a weight loss of about one pound per week. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint!
• Portion sizes are an enormous problem in this country. Cutting down the portion size will dramatically decrease caloric intake. Get a carryout box at the time you order your food and place 1/3 to 1/2 of the food in the box before you begin eating. When at home, eat your entrees off of salad plates to reduce the calories consumed. And slow down when you eat. Put your fork down between each bite or chew very slowly. This will give your body a chance to tell you when it's full before you overload it with extra food. Your stomach sends a signal to the brain when it is full, but it's not an instantaneous signal. Eating rapidly will place extra food into an already full stomach before your brain tells you you're full.
• While we have more weight issues than ever before, the good news is that we also have more helpful information than ever as well. Go to mypyramid.gov and look at the large amount of information. You can find food diaries, serving sizes, recommended daily servings of all the food groups, and much more. It's a great place to get started.

This country's problem with weight will not be fixed overnight, nor will it be fixed with a pill or a "get thin quick" scheme. Only with a disciplined approach can any improvement be made. Make good food decisions for the whole family and everyone will benefit. We have not taught our children well about good nutrition but now is the time to change! Our state, our nation, and our individual health will all be impacted with the food habit decisions that we make. Lose weight and gain health. This is one time when being a loser makes you a winner! Here's to your health.