The Obesity Epidemic: A Call to Action

John Clymer, Executive Director, Partnership for Prevention

When addressing the epidemic of obesity in our nation, the same question often arises: We want to address this health threat. What steps should we take?

Media reports, official pronouncements, a national summit and, now, this report, America's Health: State Health Rankings, all have focused our nation's attention on obesity and overweight as a fast-growing, major threat to people's health. Physical inactivity and poor nutrition - risk factors that contribute to obesity and overweight - together are the second leading cause of premature death, lagging only tobacco. These risk factors contribute to arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other deadly and debilitating diseases. They cost our nation dearly in the following ways:

• The direct and indirect costs of obesity in the United States total $117 billion.
• Obesity costs our economy more than 39 million lost work days each year.
• Three-fourths of the $1.4 trillion the United States spends on health care is to treat chronic illnesses, many of which are tied to obesity and overweight.

So what are we to do? Use proven interventions to increase people‘s physical activity, improve nutrition and counter obesity and overweight. Resources such as the Guide to Community Preventive Services (www.thecommunityguide.org) compile evidence-based strategies and interventions that have been proven to work. The Community Guide includes interventions not only to prevent obesity but also to prevent tobacco use, cancer, diabetes, motor vehicle occupant injury and other risks to healthiness.

Another tool for evidence-based interventions is www.preventioninfo.org, an interactive matrix that includes recommendations from the Community Guide and the U.S. Clinical Preventive Services Task Force. Sponsored by Partnership for Prevention, PreventionInfo.org goes beyond the recommendations and includes planning and evaluation tips, links to resources such as educational materials for patients and providers, etc.

I commend you for reading America's Health: State Health Rankings and hope you will be motivated by it. Wherever your state is within these rankings, you can implement evidence-based policies and interventions that will help your citizens to live longer, happier and more productive lives, improve your state's business climate and stem the costly toll of chronic disease.

www.prevent.org