Category | News

Keeping weight in check not so easy - but necessary

Published on October 23, 2007 by The Sentinel

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65
percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. It is estimated
that in Georgia alone, nearly 32 percent of adults are overweight or
obese, and medical costs attributed to obesity increased from $99
billion in 1995 to $117 billion in 2000—and those numbers continue to
increase.

    But we know the statistics. We know that the key to
weight loss is eating healthier and exercising more. We know that the
consequences of obesity include high blood pressure, osteoarthritis,
high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems, and
some kinds of cancer. Just a 10 percent overall decrease in weight
significantly reduces the risk of weight-related health problems. 
What we may not know, then, is why, when the solutions seem so easy and
the consequences so severe, obesity is still on the rise.

    Anyone who has gone to a grocery store in the last
six months knows that shopping for healthy foods can be expensive and
difficult, especially for college students (or anyone) on a
budget.  But it isn’t just the cost in money:  the quicker a
meal can be ready, the more likely we are to eat it, even if it means
sacrificing nutrients and amassing calories. Americans are busier now
than ever before, and less time means taking any and every shortcut to
make the most of what little time we have to eat.

    Increasing caloric intake would not be a problem if
it coincided with an increase in physical activity. But who has enough
time (or energy) to burn off every extra calorie eaten in the course of
a day? And if you don’t exercise now, chances are you won’t ever start.
Studies show that physical activity decreases with age and in
proportion to hours spent at work. And as Americans work more on
average than any other nation, often exceeding 60 hours in a week,
there is little hope that weight gain will not affect us all. 

    Furthermore, as obesity has become more widespread,
the costs of health insurance have increased by 10 to 20 percent. And
as healthcare prices are skyrocketing, some insurance companies charge
a premium 40 percent higher for overweight or obese people than for
those considered to be at a healthy weight. Add to that hundreds of
dollars spent on medications to decrease blood pressure or treat
diabetes, and obesity has not only cost you in your physical health,
but it has made a major dent in your economic welfare.

    But awareness is growing. Though many agree that
increasing weight in the American population is a problem, some are
working hard to find effective, affordable ways to help prevent and
treat obesity.

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
researchers are recruiting for a study that will test the success of
workplace weight-loss programs. 

    “The overarching goal is to identify effective and
cost-efficient weight loss programs that can be easily implemented by
employers and help employees keep the weight off,” said Laura Linnan,
Sc.D., the study’s principal investigator and associate professor of
health behavior and health education in the UNC School of Public
Health. “More than 60 percent of U.S. adults over age 18 spend a great
deal of their waking hours at work,” Linnan said. “Workplace
weight-loss programs that are cost-effective have the potential to
improve the health of large numbers of people, which is crucial, given
that more than 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.”

    There are four programs implemented by this study.
One group will work through a web-based program proven to be effective
in the past that involves resources and recommendations for diet and
physical activity, behavioral strategies, weekly plans, and message
boards where participants can talk with others in the program. 
The second group will receive cash payments for losing weight. 
Progress will be measured after three, six, 12 and 18 months, and
employees will be monitored for healthy weight-loss. The third group
will receive both the web-based program and cash payments for weight
loss. The fourth group will be given information about community-based
programs and resources for weight loss. 

    This study will help determine what programs help
reduce obesity, increasing the effectiveness of weight-loss
programs.  But in the meantime, put your health fees to work and
check out some of the programs KSU has to offer. The Center for Health
Promotion and Wellness offers several programs for nutrition and
general health awareness, and is available to students, faculty and
staff.  Or visit some of the group fitness classes to keep
yourself accountable. 

    Wellness Center programs can be viewed at kennesaw.edu/col_hhs/wellness . Group class schedules can be picked up in the Recreation Center or viewed at kennesaw.edu/student_life/intramurals.shtml .