116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Medical professionals worried about Iowa's obesity rankings
With Iowa's adult obesity rate now topping 28 percent, according to the latest survey by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, people throughout the state are following the national trends.
More obesity brings more concerns.
"It's a tremendous risk for society," said Dr. Timothy Quinn, a family physician with MercyCare in Cedar Rapids. "A tremendous risk for health expenses."
The eighth-annual "F as in Fat" report ranks Iowa as the 20th most obese state in the nation. Last year, the report had Iowa as 22nd.
While this survey focused on adults and obesity, the subject of childhood obesity has had a major push, nationwide and here in Eastern Iowa.
On this Thursday afternoon, parents watched over their children at Thomas Park in Marion.
"I try and make sure I buy healthy stuff at the grocery store," said Sarah Banowetz of Marion, a mother of four kids between the ages of 2 and 7.
Banowetz said her upbringing played a major role in understanding what to eat and how much. "My mom is a nurse," she said, "and I grew up learning about healthy eating habits and she would help by teaching me."
Dr. Quinn said many medical professionals have shifted from "eating less" to eating fewer carbohydrates.
"It's a perfect storm," said Dr. Quinn of the findings. "A combination of a decrease in activity levels in kids and adults. We have more fast food, higher calories which are carbohydrate-driven."
In this report, "obesity" is defined as a person with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher.
The Top 10 states for the 2011 "F as in Fat" survey:
1. Mississippi, 34.4%
2. Alabama, 32.3%
3. West Virginia, 32.2%
4. Tennessee, 31.9%
5. Louisiana, 31.6%
6. Kentucky, 31.5%
7. Oklahoma, 31.4%
8. South Carolina, 30.9%
9. Arkansas, 30.6%
10. Michigan, 30.5%
For neighboring states to Iowa, which is 20th at an obesity rate of 28.1%:
11. Missouri, 30.3%
17. South Dakota, 28.7%
23. Illinois, 27.7%
24. Nebraska, 27.6%
25. Wisconsin, 27.4%
38. Minnesota, 25.3%
A Cedar Rapids schools' health receptionist (left) records the weight of a fifth grade student to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) for that student at a Cedar Rapids middle school iln April 2005. All kindergarten and fifth grade students in the Cedar Rapids school district had their BMI, which is based on height and weight, measured. This is one of several steps taken by the district to address and improve the growing problem of child obesity. (Gazette file photo)
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