2008 Woodie Awards
Annual Fat Study released: Tennessee receives an F in obesity
Tanya Ludlow
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
Tennessee has the fifth highest rate of adult obesity and the fourth highest rate of overweight youths (ages 10-17) according to a new report by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH).
The annual report "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America," found that eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity are located in the south.
According to Laura Segal, director of public affairs for TFAH, the overrepresentation of Southern states in the top 10 for the highest rates of obesity in both adults and children is an issue that is not fully understood.
"There are several hypotheses, but there has never been a direct study," Segal said.
Segal said that those hypotheses included economic and cultural differences as well as differences in environment that are not conducive to physical activity.
Anne Black, associate professor of human health and performance at APSU, said that the link between poverty and obesity is a complex one which is not fully understood.
"People who are poorer tend to have food and security issues. They tend to spend food dollars on items that give high amounts of energy and that can last a long time," Black said.
This means a higher consumption of packaged and highly processed foods, instead of lean meats and vegetables which are highly perishable in comparison.
In terms of setting examples for their children by engaging in exercise and physical activity, providers in low-income families "may be working jobs that have odd hours and don't have the hours to model active behavior for their children," Black said.
The report also found that Tennessee requires school lunches meet higher nutritional standards than the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires, as well as nutritional standards limiting the kinds of foods sold in vending machines on school property.
Also, Tennessee is one of 16 states that screen students' body mass index and provide that information to parents or guardians.
The annual report "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America," found that eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity are located in the south.
According to Laura Segal, director of public affairs for TFAH, the overrepresentation of Southern states in the top 10 for the highest rates of obesity in both adults and children is an issue that is not fully understood.
"There are several hypotheses, but there has never been a direct study," Segal said.
Segal said that those hypotheses included economic and cultural differences as well as differences in environment that are not conducive to physical activity.
Anne Black, associate professor of human health and performance at APSU, said that the link between poverty and obesity is a complex one which is not fully understood.
"People who are poorer tend to have food and security issues. They tend to spend food dollars on items that give high amounts of energy and that can last a long time," Black said.
This means a higher consumption of packaged and highly processed foods, instead of lean meats and vegetables which are highly perishable in comparison.
In terms of setting examples for their children by engaging in exercise and physical activity, providers in low-income families "may be working jobs that have odd hours and don't have the hours to model active behavior for their children," Black said.
The report also found that Tennessee requires school lunches meet higher nutritional standards than the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires, as well as nutritional standards limiting the kinds of foods sold in vending machines on school property.
Also, Tennessee is one of 16 states that screen students' body mass index and provide that information to parents or guardians.
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