Contact: Maridith Geuder
High-calorie, high-sugar and high-sodium foods--combined with lack of physical activity--are contributing to an unhealthy Mississippi trend: some of the highest obesity rates in the country.
A new fact sheet being issued by Mississippi State this week provides background on a major health issue for the state and suggests strategies that will promote healthier eating and weight management. In the document, university sociologist Ginger D. Stevenson reports that actual numbers may be higher than a Centers for Disease Control report classifying nearly 14 percent of Mississippi's high school students as obese.
In the policy paper issued by MSU's Mississippi Health Policy Research Center, she and co-author Renee Matich review Mississippi studies that show rates as high as 39 percent for African-American male children and 49 percent for black American female children.
Obesity presents both a range of serious health issues and social and emotional challenges for young people, said Stevenson, a research fellow at the Social Science Research Center.
"Overweight children are experiencing conditions previously considered to be chronic, obesity-related adult diseases, including orthopedic disorders, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes," she said. She called the trend an "obesity epidemic" that has "a profound impact on the current and future health of our children as well as the economy of the state."
In addition to health problems, Stevenson observed that significantly overweight youth often experience high levels of psychological stress and are more likely to miss school days than their normal-weight peers.
"The social effects of being overweight may have long-term consequences," she warned. The potential for fewer years of education and lower household incomes are just two of those consequences, she added.
The good news is that many of the behaviors associated with obesity--diet, sedentary lifestyles and significant amounts of time spent watching television--can be changed. The MSU policy paper proposes a number of considerations, including increasing school opportunities for physical activity.
"In 2002, the CDC reported that nearly 34 percent of middle school students and more than 45 percent of high school students participated in less than 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity three times a week," Stevenson said. The same study showed that nearly 80 percent of high school students attended no physical education classes daily.
Other policy considerations Stevenson recommends for public schools include:
--Controlling the availability of foods with minimal nutritional value;
--Setting policy on soft drink contracts;
--Increasing physical education and activity; and
--Improving school meals by offering more fruits and non-fried vegetables.
The Mississippi Health Policy Research Center is a partnership between the Jackson-based Bower Foundation and the MSU Social Science Research Center. Mississippi health issues are its primary focus, said associate director Ellen Jones.
"We're providing background and data so that policymakers can make informed decisions to benefit the state," Jones explained. "Obesity has been identified as a significant national problem and one of the most pressing issues in Mississippi. This report provides an objective look at strategies to change health outcomes."
For more information about the study, visit http://www.healthpolicy.msstate.edu or telephone Ellen Jones (601) 898-9339.