Oklahoma ranks among fattest states
By Melissa Dunson
CNHI News Service
JOPLIN, Mo. -- Four times a week, Jennifer Volenec drags herself off the couch to work out at a Joplin Family Y location.
But she admits to sometimes taking the drive-through lane at McDonald's.
Volenec says that just like everyone else, she makes good and bad health decisions every day, but she stands her ground that personal health is a conscious decision.
In a study just released by the Trust for America's Health organization, Missouri was ranked the 14th fattest state, and it joined 30 other states in showing a statistically significant increase in obesity within the past year. Kansas was rated No. 26, Oklahoma was No. 13 and Arkansas came in seventh.
"Nobody's a winner in this report," said Alex Wohl, spokesman for the organization. "Sometimes these reports get played as a horse race, but the finish line keeps getting farther and farther away."
The report and supporting documents put much of the blame for the nation's obesity problems on the backs of community structure and government, asserting that healthy living is neither accessible nor affordable.
The group's suggestions for addressing the growing obesity problem include increasing and/or enforcing physical activity and nutritional food in schools; workplace education and healthy options for food and fitness; and structuring communities in ways that promote healthy living.
"The poorest communities are the ones with the highest obesity rates," Wohl said. "We tell people to eat nutritious foods, but if there's not a supermarket nearby, they'll go to the fast-food restaurant or have a bag of chips for dinner."
Wohl also said it's time for industries to address the country's weight problem by making nutritional information more available and understandable.
Rufus Grier of Joplin said the study results make sense to him because, in his opinion, area fitness centers are too expensive and local grocery stores don't carry inexpensive, nutritional foods.
"People are going to eat according to their budgets," Grier said.
Volenec disagreed, saying the decision to be healthy is as simple as reducing portion sizes and taking walks.
"It's everybody's own personal decision," Volenec said. "We all know we should work out and avoid fast food. The options are here."
Some employers, such as McCune-Brooks Hospital in Carthage, have taken steps to ensure that health is a priority for their workers. McCune-Brooks offers its employees cash rewards for reaching health goals through the Responsible Employee Activity Program. The combination of clinical, behavioral and program requirements is designed to give participants a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. The program was so successful at the hospital that McCune-Brooks sold it to other area operations.
"It's been especially successful at Carthage Water -- Electric Plant, where they had a large number of people who had high blood pressure," said Emily Boydston, McCune-Brooks community relations specialist. "The program reduced the number of people with high blood pressure, which in turn lowered their insurance rates."
Wohl, with the Trust for America's Health, would like to see more community programs. But he acknowledged that even with all the information about good health available, there will still be those who choose the drive-through lane.
"If people want to make a bad decision, there's nothing we can do about that," Wohl said, "but give people the knowledge that obesity will do more than add a few pounds to your waistline, so people can make an informed decision."
Health push
Some community organizations aren't convinced that people will make healthy choices without a friendly nudge. Melissa Bondy, with the Joplin Family Y, said the Joplin area can expect to see a big health push in the next six months, including a communitywide initiative addressing everything from sidewalks and parks to school lunches and workplace fitness.
"How can we expect kids to ride their bikes to school when we don't even have sidewalks?" Bondy said.
