Nutrition and Obesity

Obesity rates have spiraled out of control the past few decades and now represent a national epidemic. Cultural changes such as less exercise and increased time spent watching television or using the computer are partially to blame, but the primary reason for skyrocketing obesity rates is directly related to our nutrition. The kind of food we eat and the way we eat has drastically changed. Our food is denser, more caloric, and filled with more sugars and fats. We snack much more from these unhealthy foods, and portion sizes have increased dramatically.

Obesity is a national health emergency as it reduces life expectancy and quality of life through its connections to chronic diseases. It is also financially straining the U.S. health care system with its related health care expenses each year. There is no mystery how this epidemic should be tackled – and it starts with healthier lifestyles, including the food we eat. Nutritional education and our choices in food start in childhood and last through adulthood. The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City places a priority on funding organizations and programs that promote healthy lifestyles for everyone.

News

Regional

  • Just 1 in 4 young teens meets U.S. fitness guidelines Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/01/07/4735362/just-1-in-4-young-teens-meet-us.html#storylink=cpy
    Kansas City Star, January 8, 2014
    2014-01-09 16:33
  • Enrollment in WIC down in Johnson County, despite no drop in need
    By Mike Sherry, The Hale Center for Journalism, Jan. 7, 2013
    2014-01-07 13:29
  • Food Banks Brace for November Rush
    Public News Service, October 28, 2013
    2013-10-28 08:11
  • The Healthy Choice: Let’s make it easy for Kansas kids
    Kansas Action for Children, Oct. 21, 2013
    2013-10-25 11:05

National

  • Health of rural communities threatened by loss of grocery stores
    KHI News, October 14, 2013
    2013-10-14 08:59
  • Missouri seeks to tighten food stamp eligibility
    KMBC News, October 8, 2013
    2013-10-08 09:28
More News

Resources

Infographics

Regional

National

  • Choose My Plate: super tracker and other tools

    USDA

  • Health in Mind: Improving education through wellness

    Health Schools Campaign

  • Soda’s Evil Twin – The Dangers of Fruit Drinks

    Infographic from HealthScience.net

  • The Food Action and Research Center (FRAC)

    Working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States.

  • Competitive Beverage Guidelines

    Take a Stand for Healthy Students: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation – Guidelines for Competitive Foods and Beverages

  • Competitive Foods Guidelines

    Take a Stand for Healthy Students: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation – Guidelines for Competitive Foods and Beverages

  • Availability of Competitive Foods and Beverages: New Findings from US Elementary Schools

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, November 2010

  • application/pdf iconRecommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States

    Center for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2009

  • Preventing Childhood Obesity: A School Health Policy Guide

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, May 2009

  • Obesity, Food Insecurity and the Federal Child Nutrition Programs

    Understanding the Linkages, Food Action and Research Center, February 2007

  • Make a Difference at Your School: Key Strategies to Prevent Obesity

    Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Let's Move

    America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generations of Kids

  • Action Strategies Toolkit: A guide for local and state leaders working to create healthy communities and prevent childhood obesity

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, May 2009

  • F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, June 2010

  • Childhood Obesity Program Area

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Facts

Regional

  • The obesity rate is 28% in Kansas. Missouri’s 30% obesity rate places it as the 9th most obese state.

    U.S. Obesity Trends, Trends by State 1985–2009: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#Race

  • The obesity rate in the Kansas City region is just over 30 percent.

    Let’s Move - Learn the Facts: http://www.letsmove.gov/learnthefacts.php

National

  • Obesity appears to lessen life expectancy markedly, especially among younger adults.

    Years of Life Lost Due to Obesity, Journal of the American Medical Association, January 3, 2003: http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pdf/19391.pdf

  • Nearly 34% of all Americans are obese.

    Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008, The Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2010.

  • The Childhood obesity rate has more than tripled over the past three decades, and today nearly one in three children are obese.

    Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008, National Center for Health Statistics: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_child_07_08/obesity_child_07_08.htm

  • Obesity is linked to very high rates of chronic illnesses – much higher than smoking or drinking.

    Obesity – A Kansas City Health Department Priority, Community Health Assessment 2010 - Kansas City, Missouri http://www.kcmo.org/idc/groups/health/documents/health/cha2010obesity.pdf

  • Obesity accounts for over 9% of all health spending in the United States, or $147 billion per year in 2008.

    Annual Medical Spending Attributable To Obesity: Payer-And Service-Specific Estimates, Health Affairs, July 2009.

  • Americans are now eating 31 percent more calories than we were forty years ago. The average American now eats fifteen more pounds of sugar a year than in 1970.

    Let’s Move - Learn the Facts: http://www.letsmove.gov/learnthefacts.php

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