“The country’s obesity epidemic continues to worsen, as detailed in F as in Fat 2010: How the Obesity Crisis Threatens America’s Future. Adult obesity rates climbed in 28 states during the past year and now exceed 25 percent in more than two-thirds of the states, with rates higher among Blacks and Latinos.
The report, by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), discusses how the nation’s response has yet to fully match the magnitude of the problem. At the same time, it highlights public recognition of the issue and acute concern over the prevalence of childhood obesity.”
The above statement is from the section on obesity at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website. It has the entire 2010 report mentioned.
The level of obesity in America has continued to worsen according to the report. About this time last year, I made a post about the F as in Fat 2009 report. I have made a cursory review of the 2010 report and what I wrote last year remains my thinking on the matter. Unless we begin to get down to the issues of why we eat and what is “eating” at us, we will not make significant strides in combating the obesity epedemic in the US.
I did a search of the words faith and spirituality in the 2010 report. In the context of the faith/spirituality and health link, the words are not used. By and large, the national, state and local governments are not including this aspect of the obesity issue. How do they expect to make a dent in the obesity rates unless the root causes of inactivity and especially overeating are addressed.
I’ll end this brief post with the same words I used a year ago in the 2009 post.
Yes, we do warrant an F grade in the fight against obesity in America but there is an F that is missing in this Fat epidemic and it’s faith in God.
If we’re going to have an impact on this aspect of our health-care crisis in America, I’d recommend that those setting national policies to turn around obesity in adults and children and in health care reform include a very big dose of faith/God-based initiatives into their planning.
