Obesity In Mississippi

On Dec 12, 2013 there were high rates of obesity and diabetes in a majority of Mississippi’s cities and counties which continues to make Mississippi the unhealthiest state in the country. This may be attributed to Mississippi’s a high poverty rate because poor people tend to eat less healthy. A lot of people in Mississippi has lack of physical activity so that could be another reason. Obesity in adults and children is a top health concern in Mississippi. In 2012 Mississippi had the highest obesity rate in the country. In 2011 it was reported that 44% of Mississippi’s kids were overweight or obese and 70% of the adults were and that it is most prevalent in the Mississippi Delta. Along with obesity go a slew of other health problems including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Another cause of obesity in the Delta is the lack available fresh produce in places. In one store in the Mississippi Delta, bananas were starting to turn black in their only grocery store. If you really want quality fresh produce food or fruit you must drive 30 to 45 minutes to find a good grocery store.

Since 2009 Schools have been improving there healthy choices of food like fresh fruits and salad bars,but those foods take longer to eat (Hellmich). Turning school lunches into an actual sit down meal rather than a feeding frenzy is a good way of improving health (Parker-Pope). Students usually have less than 20 minutes to eat lunch which makes it less likely for them to choose the healthy choice (Elsevier). Kids often like to eat there favorite foods first,not giving them enough time to eat the healthy food (Hellmich). An increase in school lunches could encourage students to eat the healthier choice(5 Elsevier). School nutritionist suggest that students need to have atlas 20 minutes to eat (Hellmich). Research shows that when people consume meals faster they take in more calories because they get hungry sooner (Chen). The shorter lunch periods are starting to lead to more and more obese and overweight kids ( Hellmich). Doctors are saying there are more and more kids getting diabetes and other illnesses due to the lunches and something needs to be done about it

Obesity is a primary concern of the public health in the United States as a whole, as well as in the state of Texas. According to the Texas Medical Association (TMA), obesity and metabolic syndrome are listed as number two on their list of Public Health Priorities (Texas Medical Association, 2016). The three levels of government, national, state and local, are concerned with the high rates of obesity. All levels of government strive to work together to keep people as healthy as possible (“The Future of the Public’s Health in the 21st Century, 2003).

We as a state have a problem Mississippi is the state full of the most obese people in the country. It is recorded that 35.1% of the people living in Mississippi are overweight, that being said we have to make a change to our state in some way. I don’t entirely blame the people of Mississippi for being overweight; I think our state is to blame to. It is not our fault there is not much to do; the state needs to find more activities for kids and adults. I think that is why people in other states are not as obese as the people in Mississippi.

What measures should Governor Bryant take to reduce childhood obesity in the low-income population of Mississippi?

In the United States Mississippi is the most unhealthy state, being well known for obesity. On estimate 41.8% of school-aged children and youth in Mississippi are obese. 450 children in grades 1 through 4 spend at least a year being educated on how to stay healthy and healthy eating habits. Then after grade four healthy matters aren’t as important. Not till highschool is it required to take a health class in Mississippi. They teach teens that the littlest things can make obesity occur and make it worse. Such as prohibited purchase of fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, poor dietary habits, unhealthy school breakfast and lunches, limited physical effort, and an increase of time on phones, television, or tablet. As for Programs are trying to make a difference for instance the team Healthy Mississippi is partnering with a program called University

Obesity is a serious problem in this country, but especially in New Orleans. New Orleans is known for cajun, spicy, and fried food and the food portion are huge. It is importance to teach children early proper eating habits. Children learn from their parents, so parents have to set a good example. Nowaday children just sit inside and play video games and they do not get any physical activity.

Obesity, and more importantly childhood obesity, is drastically effecting the United States of America and other parts of the world, more and more each day. In the last 30 years, the amount of children who are six to eleven years old have doubled, and children who are twelve to nineteen years old have more than quadrupled. (“Facts”) The wild and wonderful state of West Virginia unfortunately has the title of the 2nd highest obesity rate in the United States at 35.7% as of 2014. The childhood obesity rate in West Virginia is 14.0% for two to four year olds, 18.5% for ten to seventeen year olds, and 15.6% for high school students in general. (“WV”) There was a census conducted in 2012 that showed that greater than one-third of children were overweight or obese too. (“Facts”) There is clearly a problem with West Virginia, the United States, and the world. Even though childhood obesity increases every year and is caused by many factors, it can be prevented.

Have you noticed obesity has become a big problem in the Appalachians? According to M. Wewers, "Nearly 44 percent of the Appalachian population is obese" (Herath 129). For those who struggle with obesity, it is not just having a little extra weight. When you are obese, you are more prone to heart disease, depression, and high blood pressure. In addition, obesity increases the risk of premature mortality (Herath 127). As the number of people who are obese increases, the nation becomes unhealthier. For some of the individuals who are obese, it is not about eating unhealthily or being lazy. For these individuals, they have a medical condition that causes obesity. The amount of obesity in the Appalachians is shocking; however, there are

The data has shown that there is an ongoing problem with obesity in DeSoto County and many counties in Florida. The State of Obesity, reports that Florida 's adult obesity rate is 26.4 percent, up from 20.7 percent in 2004 and from 11.4 percent in 1990("Florida", 2014). In 2011 for DeSoto County, the percentage of obese females was in the worst 25% of all counties at 44%, while the percentage of obese males was in the middle 50% of all counties at 38.2%. The national average in 2011 was 36.1% for females and 33.8% for males. Excess weight is considered to be one of the major causes and determinates of future health problems. These problems include diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease among others. These issues cut across race, gender and age. If you are a black person aged 45-64 you are more likely to either have one of the diseases attributed to obesity or have the highest risk of developing one of these diseases. There is some good news among the data when it comes to children, the CDC reports that between 2008 and 2011 Florida 's rate fell from 14.1% to 13.1%, a statistically significant decrease according to the CDC analysis. The goal is to continue in this same direction by focusing on the education and intervention of children so they do not become a member of this statistical population and eventually fall into

Nevertheless, the National School Lunch Program provides unique ideas for improving the program in the future. By improving the guidelines into modern needs it helps to think about what can be changed to make it better in the future. Talk From Earth wrote in "Cafeteria Food - Improving School Lunches - How to Make Cafeteria Food Better for Kids and the Environment," that by banning sugary food and food from school lunches, it causes the administrators and many parents to want to have healthy lunches and be more green. This got me thinking how urban schools can achieve this same success in developing a more nutritious lunch in different ways. By schools teaching better eating habits it can affect the future for students. As Elisabeth Leamy

America is facing a rigorous obesity plague that is endangering the health of millions. Moreover, we are passing our bad practices down to our children. Obesity is a stipulation in which anomalous or excessive fat buildup in adipose tissue that damages health. Obesity is defined in adults as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 (kg/m). Obesity is one of the most discernible, but until recently, most deserted public health problems. The present high pervasiveness of obesity and the brisk increase in pervasiveness in the last twenty years has been referred to as an endemic (Johnson SJ, Birch LL. 1994). Children all through the U.S. are getting fatter and less fit, through potentially treacherous enduring consequences. The figure of

Obesity in the United State has increasingly been cited as major health issue. Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that the proportion of adults who are obese has more than doubled from 15% in 1971–1974 to 34% In 2003–2006 for adults 20-74 years.In 1990, obese adults made up less than 15 percent of the population in most US states however by the year 2010 , 36 states had obesity rates of 25 percent or higher and 12 of those states had obesity of 30 percent or higher (CDCP 2012).

While many parents are depending on school systems to supply their children with a healthy balanced meal every day, they aren’t getting what they hoped for. School systems throughout not only the United States but the world have inadequate meal plans in place to feed their growing students. A school cafeteria is somewhere a student should have easy access to fresh, healthy, and balanced meals but it currently isn’t, and that needs to change if not only for the good of the younger generations but the communitive health of the populous.

As of right now, schools provide minimal to no health education to students, and simultaneously feed the students processed foods out of the cafeteria. An average American student’s school lunch comes with a freshly thawed cheeseburger, canned beans, canned peaches, and maybe a side of broccoli. As Jamie Oliver told his audience in his Ted talk, this type of lunch is extremely unhealthy, yet it is eaten by ¨31 million kids… 180 days a year.¨ Students should not