MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Opinion

Discussion

September 19, 2012

Future does not have to look fatter

We are fat.

And, according to a recent report, we can look forward to more of us becoming fatter than ever.

Oklahoma is rated as the second-fattest state in the nation with 31 percent of our population now obese. The report predicts that 66 percent of our state’s adults will be obese by 2030.

The new projections were released Tuesday by Trust for America’s Health with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Trust for America’s Health regularly reports on obesity to raise awareness, mostly relying on government figures.

The group’s dismal forecast goes beyond the 42 percent national obesity level that federal health officials project by 2030.

Whichever estimates you trust, the consensus is that we are going to get fatter. Increases in obesity will bring increases in costs for treating ailments connected to obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

By 2030, medical costs from treating obesity-related diseases are likely to increase by $48 billion, to $66 billion per year, the report states.

A dire forecast. But a forecast is not the same as fate.

We can shape our destiny. We can reshape ourselves.

Muskogee has taken steps in the right direction. In recent years the miles of trails available in the city to walkers, runners and bikers have increased significantly.

Muskogee Against Tobacco has earned honors for its efforts to make Muskogee parks smoke-free. The Muskogee Wellness Initiative encourages healthy lifestyles.

The city and county are taking steps to make our streets more accommodating to bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Initiatives only work when individuals take advantage of them. Our community has shown it is serious about turning the obesity trend around.

Are you?

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