Lexington, SC 06/15/2021 (Guest Author) - Recent research by World Obesity Federation projects that by 2025, over 1 billion adults will be overweight globally, out of which 177 million will be severely affected by obesity. The obesity pandemic is inarguably currently one of the world's most critical public health concerns. The WOF report further indicates that obesity and overweight are responsible for more deaths than malnutrition and underweight. This trend cuts across all countries, including the United States. A 2018 CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) brief estimated the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. as 42%, almost half of the entire population.
South Carolina is among the states that the obesity crisis has hit hardest. Data from the South Carolina state's library shows that two out of three Carolina adults are obese or overweight. This rate is higher than the U.S. median by almost 25%. Apart from the health impact, obesity is also quite costly—the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) estimates the economic cost of obesity in South Carolina to be $ 8.5 billion annually and counting. The high prevalence of obesity in this state is primarily due to lack of physical activity and poor nutrition.
Breaking down the obesity numbers, even more, gives us a chance to see how smaller areas handle the epidemic. For instance, thanks to data collected by Dietspotlight.com, a health and wellness resource site, we know that:
The average man in Lexington County weighs 216 pounds. He has a BMI, or body mass index, or 31.5. On the other hand, women weigh slightly less at 196 pounds and have an average BMI of 32.8. This data was gathered from county residents who reached Dietspotlight while researching things like fat burners, meal replacements, workout programs, and other weight-loss assistance.
The average number of pounds a Lexington resident needs to lose hovers around 60 pounds. “That’s 2% lower than the state average of 62 pounds and 3% higher than the country average of 59 pounds,” according to Dietspotlight.
Given the severity of the obesity situation in California, both the government and private players have adopted a multifaceted approach to beat the pandemic. The government's Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC) program seeks to improve nutrition and enhance physical activity environments in neighborhoods, healthcare, media, marketing, communities, school, and after-school. It's almost similar to the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP) that seeks to broaden the impact of environmental and policy change approaches to eradicating obesity in selected agricultural Central Valley counties. Both programs focus on two key areas—promoting healthy eating and encouraging physical activity.
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