 "Photo: Tamir Kalifa/The Daily Texan")
Texas is tied with Georgia for the position of the fourteenth fattest state in the U.S., according to a study released last week, authored by Trust for America’s Health in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Approximately 27.9 percent of adults and 32.2 percent of children ages 10-17 in Texas are considered obese. The report, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009,” asserts that the current economic crisis could be to blame for the U.S.’s high obesity rate, which makes it one of the fattest nations in the world.
The report’s findings indicate that as food prices continue to rise, particularly for healthy foods, it may become difficult for some families to eat balanced, nutritious diets. The economy — which the report claims is a contributing source of stress, depression and anxiety — may lead to increased obesity rates as the number of unemployed and uninsured continues to grow.
“As people lose jobs, they also lose their employer-sponsored health insurance and access to health and wellness services that support healthier lifestyles,” the report states. “Government programs that serve the poor and uninsured cannot fully mitigate the recession’s negative impact as increased demand strains available services.”
There have been increased effort to rid the nation of its obesity epidemic through more stringent standards, aimed particularly at schoolchildren. Texas is among a minority of states that have instituted widespread regulations for nutritional standards in schools, limiting access to competitive snack foods and mandating health and physical education programs.
“School-based efforts have focused on improving the quality of food sold in schools, limiting sales of less nutritious foods, improving physical education and health education and encouraging increased physical activity either within the school day or through extracurricular activities,” the report states.
Jason’s Deli, a chain restaurant specializing in sandwich and wrap entrees, has made strides to eliminate MSG, trans fats, nitrites and high-fructose corn syrup from its menu, said Rusty Coco, one of the original founders of Jason’s Deli and current owner. He said he strives to educate people to make good choices.
“We’ve got to challenge the restaurant industry and fast-food restaurants to serve healthier foods, serve less processed and contaminated meals, to make people cognizant of what exactly they are eating,” Coco said. “For the first time ever, we have a generation that’s not as healthy as the previous one. I think we have a long way to go to educate the consumer to make good food choices.”
Though the economy may be faltering, there are some that believe the link between obesity and unemployment is irrelevant.
“Just because families don’t have a lot of money does not mean that their money can’t be used wisely on cheap, affordable produce at H-E-B or another grocery store,” said nutrition senior Molly McCauley. “The [Austin Independent School District] has completely changed their menus to include a more balanced diet of meats, grains, vegetables, low-fat milk — and families that can’t afford it are usually eligible for federal programs.”
President
Corn Refiners Association