No doubt state lawmakers, school officials and thousands of parents understand that Colorado is facing a big problem when it comes to growing obesity, nutrition issues and especially childhood obesity.
But how to change habits that are ruining the health of not only the state, but the entire country as well?
For the past three years, First Lady Michelle Obama has been making the issue a cause célèbre, stumping for parents to be aware of the problem and look for ways to correct it. But we are far beyond the need simply for recognition that the waistlines of the country are something to ponder.
Colorado residents need to take special note of the problem. State health officials say the obesity rate here in Colorado has grown considerably faster than elsewhere in the nation. Even though Colorado residents are known for leading a healthy lifestyle, the number of obese Coloradans grew from 10 percent of the population to 19 percent in just six years. The state obesity rate increased by 89 percent, compared to the U.S. obesity rate increase of 67 percent.
It’s a dangerous trend. Obesity not only causes serious illness, and debilitating illnesses even earlier in life for obese children, but those illnesses are helping drive a huge increase in spending for health care.
Many were recently confused lately because the Colorado Legislature has finally decided that another nutritional issue jeopardizes the health of Colorado children: trans fats in school lunches and snacks. So-called trans fats, a byproduct of some processed fats and fat-foods, have long been shown to lead to arterial sclerosis. The longer people eat these man-made fat products, the more likely it is to create health problems.
So after a great deal of consternation, state lawmakers have tentatively agreed to prohibit schools from feeding children foods laden with trans fats. Some are confused as to whether this issue will affect the state’s juvenile obesity problem. The issues have nothing to do with each other.
While it’s important to ensure that children eating government-sponsored meals in schools aren’t relatively poisoned by their lunches and breakfasts, trans-fat free foods can be still be caloric and fattening.
State lawmakers need to instruct schools to spell out the trans-fat and obesity issues to parents. It means that even though state officials continue to pare away at physical education budgets, they must find a way to teach children practical nutrition guidelines, and get the message to parents that being overweight is more than a personal choice, it’s a serious health liability.
Shockingly, one in three American children is overweight, and two in 10 are obese — or are in danger of becoming obese because of their weight — according to a recent story by The Associated Press.
The answer sought by many is to give children in schools healthier choices for lunch, which is somehow supposed to magically spur kids to lose the pounds.
That’s not enough. There is no shortage of healthy, economical foods in Colorado stores and even school cafeterias. The problem is with the people choosing to eat an endless supply of processed, convenient foods that are filled with salt, fat and calories, and practically devoid of nutrition. There’s hardly a child in the country who doesn’t have some notion of what’s good and what’s bad to eat.
Instead of asking food makers to create calorically empty foods, and for schools to avoid trans fats and other fatty foods, state officials need to focus on persuading children and parents to make an effort to slim down, get regular exercise, eat less and choose better foods.
If parents don’t model good eating habits, and if they don’t enforce good eating habits, the rest of all of these expensive and cumbersome efforts are just a waste of time.