South Dakotans and all Americans face a smorgasbord of health problems _ including a shorter life span _ unless they take action to reverse a dramatic rise in obesity, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the nation's top public health official, said Friday.
"Our nation is at risk of losing the benefits we've achieved ... because our nation is too fat," said Gerberding, a South Dakota native and director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The problem is basic: Americans take in too many calories and don't burn off enough, said Gerberding.
But increased use of computers, fast-food dinners and a decline in school physical education programs have contributed to the problem, she said.
Woven into the mix are family traditions that are often tied to food, a fast-paced lifestyle and genetics, said Gerberding, the keynote speaker at a health summit called by Gov. Mike Rounds for South Dakota health care, school and community leaders.
In South Dakota, 23 percent of adults are obese, a rate that has more than doubled in the last 12 years, said Doneen Hollingsworth, secretary of the state Health Department. Even more troubling is the growing number of overweight preschoolers, Hollingsworth said.
A 2003 survey showed 12.7 percent of children ages 2 to 5 were overweight in South Dakota. That compares with about 8.4 percent in 1996, health department figures show.
The numbers show a need for action not just in South Dakota but across the nation, and policy-makers, health professionals and individuals must all be part of the solution, said Gerberding.
"We can fix this problem. We really can be successful in reversing this," she said.
Those working to battle obesity can learn from efforts that successfully helped reduce tobacco use among Americans, she said.
Also, a growing body of research is available on what kinds of programs work and don't work as communities and businesses try to establish health programs for residents and employees, said Gerberding.
At CDC offices, for example, stairwells were painted and music was piped in to encourage people to take the steps. Another CDE project added an outdoor trail so employees can walk or job.
"Those are the kinds of things that are starting to take hold," Gerberding said.
Rounds said the Department of Health received a federal grant to develop a statewide plan for better nutrition and increased physical activity. Friday's summit was the first step in that process, the governor said.
He also introduced a new interactive health journal that has been added to the state's health promotion Web site. South Dakotans can log on to the site and use the journal to help them keep track of their goals for improving their health, said Rounds.
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On the Net:
Healthy South Dakota: http://www.healthysd.gov/
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/
