The Austin-Travis County Health Department is taking a stand against rising rates of obesity.
Experts say one in five adults and one in seven high school students are overweight or obese.
The department is now developing a three-year plan to attack the problem based on policy and environmental changes. It will use part of a $300,000 State Health Department grant to pay for the program.
It is not a problem isolated to our area. National efforts have been underway to curb the trend. First Lady, Michelle Obama, is supporting the efforts.
“From fast food to vending machines packed with chips and candy to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices everyday and it’s no surprise that they don’t always pick the healthy ones,” said Obama.
Lawmakers are enforcing strict regulations in school cafeterias and even how restaurants prepare and advertise its food.
Several other cities and counties are considering their own plans to lower obesity rates. At least two California cities are considering banning happy meals. In some states there is talk of a tax on soft drinks. Washington lawmakers passed the new tax law earlier this year.
A recent research project called The Healthy Study looked at how school-based interventions cut the rick of health problems linked to obesity. Half of the 42 participating schools started including healthy food offerings and incorporated more P.E. time. The other campuses did not.
The study showed a significant difference with students at the intervention schools keeping weight down, lowering sugar levels and cutting body fat.
“The difference between the groups was about three percent. That might sounds like a small percentage but if you take three percent of all the sixth and eighth graders in this country, from a public health point-of-view, it’s a home run,” said the leading doctor in the study.
Earlier this year, Dell Children's Hospital in Austin opened a clinic that offers families tools to fight childhood obesity.
The Health Department’s plan would reach out to even more people. The plan is still in the development stages.
Before moving forward, the department is hosting a Town Hall meeting to give the public an opportunity to review the draft. The meeting lasts from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at One Texas Center in South Central Austin.
