Results tagged “NH” from Statewide HEAL Initiative: Local News
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) held its first "Weight of the Nation" conference on July 27 - 29, 2009. The conference reinforced HEAL's approach to addressing obesity in New Hampshire and provided a forum to highlight progress in the prevention and control of obesity through policy and environmental strategies. They focused on four settings: community, health care, school, and workplace.
Cost Savings in a Wellness Focused System
While the health impacts of obesity have been well documented, a new study released by the CDC shows that the US spends $147 billion every year treating obesity related medical conditions. In her address during the conference, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius remarked, "to put that figure in perspective, the American Cancer Society estimates that all cancers combined cost our health care system $93 billion a year. So ending obesity would save our health care system fifty percent more dollars than curing cancer." Sebelius further said, "and it's a major part of the broader commitment the Obama administration has made to transforming our health care system from a sickness system to a wellness system, a commitment that will make us not just a healthier, but also a wealthier country."
Other national leaders delivered powerful messages about the importance of obesity prevention efforts at the national, state and local levels including: Former President Bill Clinton, CDC Director Thomas Frieden, and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Dr. Joseph Thompson, Arkansas Surgeon General, who was a panelist on school wellness, will be the keynote speaker for our 2009 HEAL NH Conference in October.
HEAL NH Participants
Representatives and partners of the HEAL Initiative that attended the conference were Regina Flynn and Becky Bukowski from NH DHHS, Shawn LaFrance and Terry Johnson from the Foundation for Healthy Communities, and Karrie Kalich from Keene State College. All of these individuals will work to incorporate the information and resources gained at "Weight of the Nation" into the HEAL Initiative.
New Hampshire ranked number 1 in the nation in the Kids Count report. But childhood obesity isn't part of that picture.
A recent editorial in the Concord Monitor
pointed out that rising rates of childhood obesity and overweight are not part of the Kids Count assessment. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book collects the state by state data to measure the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of children. Their key indicators are all important measures but do not include childhood obesity.
Some interesting statistics from the New Hampshire Childhood Obesity Expert Panel in 2006:
- 32.8% of New Hampshire children in the 6-12 year old age group were overweight or obese
- 24% NH high school students were found to be overweight or obese
- Among children with newly diagnosed diabetes, several clinic based studies have shown that the percentage classified as Type 2 has increased from less than 5% before 1994 to 30% to 50% in subsequent years.
The Childhood Obesity Action Network's 2008 State Obesity Profile shows:
- 55.9% of NH children ages 6-17 participate in 4 or more days/week of vigorous physical activity. The national statistic is 59%.
- 38.3% in the same age group engage in 2 or more hours of screen time daily, better than the nationwide statistic of 44.9%.
- While our state rank 27.3% for overweight and obese children in the 10-17 age group is #16 (1 is best), 26.5% of children in higher income families (greater than 400% federal poverty level) are overweight or obese, compared to the national level of 22.9%.
Take Action
Ranking, age groups, and weight classifications aside, the bottom line is that more and more children are overweight and this raises serious health concerns. The New Hampshire Childhood Obesity Expert Panel 's 2007 report titled Preventing Childhood Obesity: Promoting physical activity & healthy eating includes recommendations and action steps for families, schools, health care providers and communities.
Additional recommendations will soon be provided by the New Hampshire Commission on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity, which is addressing HEAL related policy issues. The commission will recommend specific legislative and policy strategies for preventing childhood obesity. For example, the commission is reviewing national standards for the beverage industry that would comply with the types of recommendations included in the Healthy Schools Framework developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The commission will report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the house, senate, and governor, by Nov. 15, 2009.
Thank you to the Concord Monitor for their insightful editorial.
HEAL Projects will serve 47 cities and towns
Four community partnerships were selected to receive the first ever Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Community Grant Program awards. Each partnership will implement three-year HEAL projects aimed at decreasing obesity and improving the health and quality of life of the residents they serve.
The HEAL projects will serve a total of 47 New Hampshire cities and towns. The Caring Community Network of Twin Rivers (CCNTR) Healthy Heart of Life, Make the Move! project represents Franklin and 12 surrounding towns. The HEAL for Cheshire County Healthiest Community Initiative represents Keene and 22 surrounding towns. The Lakes Region Physical Activity and Nutrition Coalition represents Laconia and 8 surrounding towns. Upper Valley HEAL represents Lebanon and 5 surrounding towns.