Work still needed in battling obesity

By Ellen Robinson
Published on Sunday, August 28, 2005 11:01 AM MDT

Sidney Herald

Though Montana ranks as one of six states currently under the national obesity rate, the state's obesity rate has climbed with 56.8 percent of adults in Montana being either overweight or obese.

Montana has a 19.1 percent obesity rate among adults compared to the national average of 24.5 percent, ranking it the 46th most obese state, according to the Trust for America's Health report. Trust for America's Health used data collected from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

There was a .3 percent growth in obesity in the state, translating into a 43rd ranking for the obesity rate increase. North Dakota, however, was closer to the national average with a 23.9 percent obesity rate, ranking it 16th in the nation, and ranking second in the nation in the obesity rate increase category.

Because of Richland County's close proximity to North Dakota, local dietitian Lisa Aisenbrey points out the state average may not accurately represent the region's obesity rate.

"The majority of the population in Montana is in the western part of the state; eastern Montanans have similar cultural habits to North Dakotans, including diet, environment and activity level," Aisenbrey said.

The report suggests trends point to possible future changes to employer health care plans, such as "fit versus fat" premium differences for individuals based on lifestyle and risk for disease due to obesity.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005 said a healthy eating plan is one that emphasizes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, nuts and milk products. The guidelines focus attention on balancing calories between food and physical activity to achieve a healthy weight. The recommended amount of physical activity is 30 minutes a day for overall health and fitness, and 60 to 90 minutes a day to help with weight loss or weight maintenance.

Locally, the Richland County Nutrition Coalition sponsors the annual "Tasty Fork" promotion in March. This promotion highlights the healthy options on local menus, and gives an award to the winning entree or side-dish during National Nutrition Month in March.

The Richland County Community Diabetes Project, with a goal of creating an environment supportive of diabetes health management, has comprised a list of places to walk in Richland County.

The list includes Sidney High School, Central School, Village Square Mall, St. Matthew's Catholic Church, the Sidney walking path, Healthworks, Savage School and Lambert School. For more information on walking times and accessability, contact the Richland Health Network.

To help Montana combat the epidemic, the Montana Department of Health and Human Services received a four-year grant from the CDC to improve the Montana Nutritional and Physical Activity program. Various public and private partners in the health care industry and community leaders are working together to create a joint Cardiovascular Health/Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan. The plan is projected to be completed and released this fall.

ellenr@sidneyherald.com

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