Obesity/Chronic Disease Archives - Page 11 of 15

Special Issue Brief: Obesity Rates Among WIC Children

«state»’s Obesity Rate Among Young Children from Low-Income Families «delta_upper», is «rate_2014» Percent

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health Highlight Signs of Progress Among WIC Participants, but Emphasize Obesity Rates Remain Too High

Washington, D.C., November 17, 2016 —«state»’s obesity rate among young children from low-income families «delta_lower» and is «rate_2014» percent, according to a study published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). «state»’s rate is «rank_upper».

Overall, obesity showed a statistically significant decrease in 31 states and three territories and increased significantly in four states (Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia) among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from 2010 to 2014.

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a new data visualization showing how state-by-state obesity rates have changed among 2- to 4-year-old WIC participants since 2000 and a series of maps highlighting states’ efforts to help promote nutrition and physical activity in early child care settings.

Utah had the lowest rate of 2- to 4-year-old WIC participants who were obese at 8.2 percent, while Virginia had the highest rate at 20.0 percent, according to today’s findings.

Additional data on obesity rates among young children:

WIC

18 states have obesity rates at or above 15 percent among 2- to 4-year-old WIC participants (in 2014). In 2010, 26 states had a rate at or above 15 percent.
While obesity rates among this population have declined in recent years, they remain high – with a national average of 14.5 percent. The national average was 8.4 percent in 1992.

NHANES

These new data for young children from low-income families reflect the significant inequity in obesity and health related to income-the national obesity rate among 2- to 5-year-olds across all economic levels is 8.9 percent (from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2014).

“These data are encouraging because kids from lower-income families are especially vulnerable and often face higher risk for obesity,” said Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH, MBA, vice president, RWJF. “We must continue to track and analyze child obesity and the programs that aim to reduce rates, especially among our nation’s youngest kids. This is critical for informing efforts to address disparities and ensuring that all children-no matter who they are or where they live-have a healthy start from their very first days.”

“It is heartening to see evidence of progress after decades of work,” said Rich Hamburg, interim president and CEO, TFAH. “However, this doesn’t mean we’ve accomplished our goal. We need to keep the momentum going to ensure young children and families have the support they need — through programs like WIC — that help improve access to healthy, affordable food, quality healthcare, home visiting programs and health and nutrition education programs.”

Last month, CDC released a new Early Care and Education State Indicator Report, tracking state policies that aim to prevent obesity in child care settings. Some key findings include:

38 states and Washington, D.C. have Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) for child care programs, and, of those, 29 have included obesity prevention in their state standards;
41 states and Washington, D.C. offer online professional development training for early childhood education (ECE) providers that cover obesity prevention topics;
42 states and Washington, D.C. include ECE settings in their comprehensive plans for addressing chronic disease or nutrition and physical activity; and
28 states and Washington, D.C. encouraged enhanced nutrition standards in their Child and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP) as of 2015.

In September 2016, RWJF and TFAH released State of Obesity 2016: Better Policies for a Healthier America, which included a detailed policy analysis of WIC and other related childhood nutrition and obesity prevention initiatives, noting that:

WIC provides benefits – direct food assistance as well as counseling and education support – to approximately 8 million low-income individuals, including around 2 million pregnant and post-partum women, 2 million infants and 4 million children under age 5;
For every dollar spent on pregnant women enrolled in the WIC program, up to $4.21 is saved in Medicaid spending;
Around 15 million U.S. children live in “food-insecure” households, where they have limited access to adequate food and nutrition due to cost, proximity and/or other resources; and
Food insecurity among families is particularly concentrated in different areas around the country – in 321 counties, the average food insecurity rate is 23 percent, while in the other 2,821 counties, the average rate is 15 percent. Fifty percent of the high food-insecurity counties are in rural areas, 26 percent are metropolitan and 90 percent are in the South.

The State of Obesity report includes recommended strategies and policies to help ensure all young children have the opportunity to maintain a healthy weight. Some key areas of emphasis include:

Ensuring access to quality healthcare and family home visiting programs for at-risk families, which includes supporting early screening for health, nutrition and social service needs and connecting families directly to programs and resources;
Nutrition assistance and education programs and healthy food financing initiatives to make healthy choices affordable and available for all families in all neighborhoods;
Active living initiatives in communities that support places that are convenient and safe to be physically active;
Supporting healthy nutrition and physical activity in all child care settings, including limiting screen time, eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages and implementing the updated standards from the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Child Care and Development Block Grant; and
Prioritizing early childhood education opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Data released today are from the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study (WIC PC) as reported in an analysis of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review. WIC PC summarizes the demographic information of WIC participants and is based on measured height and weight data. Women, infants and children in families with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) who are at nutritional risk are eligible for the WIC program (FPL is $24,250 for a family of four); some participants become income eligible for WIC through participation in other programs based on income or other economic variables programs. Further analysis of the WIC program and changes in participation levels could provide additional evidence on the factors that helped contribute to the decline in obesity rates.

Follow the conversation at #StateofObesity.

Trust for America‘s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. For more information, visit www.healthyamericans.org.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

2014 «state»-BY-«state» OBESITY RATES OF WIC PARTICIPANTS AGES 2-4

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study (WIC PC), obesity rates for children ages 2-4 by state from highest to lowest were:

1. Virginia (20.0); 2. Alaska (19.1); 3. Delaware (17.2); 4. South Dakota (17.1); 5. Nebraska (16.9); 6. (tie) California (16.6) and Massachusetts (16.6); 8. Maryland (16.5); 9. West Virginia (16.4); 10. (tie) Alabama (16.3) and Rhode Island (16.3); 12. (tie) Connecticut (15.3) and 12. New Jersey (15.3); 14. Illinois (15.2); 15. (tie) Maine (15.1) and 15. New Hampshire (15.1); 17. (tie) North Carolina (15.0) and Oregon (15.0); 19. (tie) Tennessee (14.9) and Texas (14.9); 21. (tie) Iowa (14.7) and 21. Wisconsin (14.7); 23. Mississippi (14.5); 24. (tie) Arkansas (14.4) and North Dakota (14.4); 26. (tie) Indiana (14.3) and New York (14.3); 28. Vermont (14.1); 29. Oklahoma (13.8); 30. Washington (13.6); 31. Michigan (13.4); 32. (tie) Arizona (13.3) and Kentucky (13.3); 34. Louisiana (13.2); 35. Ohio (13.1); 36. (tie) District of Columbia (13.0) and Georgia (13.0) and Missouri (13.0); 39. Pennsylvania (12.9); 40. Kansas (12.8); 41. Florida (12.7); 42. (tie) Montana (12.5) and New Mexico (12.5); 44. Minnesota (12.3); 45. (tie) Nevada (12.0) and South Carolina (12.0); 47. Idaho (11.6); 48. Hawaii (10.3); 49. Wyoming (9.9); 50. Colorado (8.5); 51. Utah (8.2).

Note: 1 = Highest rate, 51 = lowest rate.

Trust for America’s Health Releases “Blueprint for a Healthier America” Report Featuring High-Impact Policies for the Next Administration and Congress

Washington, D.C., October 19, 2016 – Today, the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released Blueprint for a Healthier America 2016: Policy Priorities for the Next Administration and Congress which calls for a new approach to health – prioritizing improving health and addressing major epidemics in the United States.

“It’s time for a sea change from our current sick care system to a true health system, where we focus on preventing disease and improving quality of life,” said Richard Hamburg, Interim CEO and President of TFAH. “In the Blueprint, we highlight high-impact policies that could help spare millions of Americans from preventable health problems and save billions in avoidable healthcare costs – if we make them a priority.”

The report highlights pressing crises and how investments could yield positive returns on investment by adopting proven health strategies. For instance:

Investing $1 in substance use prevention to realize as much as $34 in return. Deaths from prescription painkiller use have more than quadrupled in the last 15 years and deaths from heroin have tripled since 2010, contributing to higher death rates among middle-aged Whites. Five of the strongest school-based substance use prevention strategies have returns on investment ranging from $3.8:1 to $34:1.
Saving more than $16 billion through a more active and healthy population. One in three children will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime and one in four young adults are not healthy enough to join the military. An investment of $10 per person in proven, evidence-based community prevention programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition and reduce tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually – a $5.60:1 return.
Connecting health and social services to cut billions in costs. Health and social service coordinating systems that address gaps between medical care and effective social service programs – by connecting patients in need with programs ranging from supportive housing to food assistance – could yield between $15 billion and $72 billion in healthcare savings a year within 10 years, according to a new analysis by TFAH and Healthsperien.
Reducing the $120 billion spent annually on preventable infectious diseases. Fifteen years after 9/11 and 11 years after Hurricane Katrina, when health crises such as new infectious diseases arise, the country still scrambles to implement emergency plans and secure funding. Preventable infectious diseases cost the country more than $120 billion annually – and that cost is exponentially compounded when new diseases emerge.
Realizing a 7-10 percent annual return by investing in early childhood education. More than half of U.S. children – across the economic spectrum – experience adverse experiences, such as physical or sexual abuse, and more than 20 percent live below the poverty line, which increases their risk for “toxic stress” – living under a constant state of stressful conditions – that can contribute to a range of physical, mental and behavioral health issues. Investments in early childhood education can help mitigate against impact of these risks and increase resilience, while also providing an annual return of 7 to 10 percent per year, and supportive nurse-family home visits for high-risk families show a return of $5.70:1.

The Blueprint highlights leading evidence-based strategies for improving health and policy – and models to help bring them to scale across the country. These include:

Supporting Better Health in Every Community: Federal, state and local public health programs and policies should support place-based health improvement partnerships. Doing so will help identify and elevate a local community’s top priorities and bring key partners and assets together – from public health, healthcare, social services, philanthropies, education, businesses and faith and community groups – for a greater collective impact. A network of expert institutes in each state should provide technical assistance to these multisector collaborative partnerships. In addition, the Prevention and Public Health Fund and other community-based health improvement programs should be protected and fully funded.
Modernizing the Public Health System to Be Prepared for Emergencies: The public health system must be modernized – and sufficiently funded – so that it can handle ongoing threats and new emergencies. Too often the country has been caught off guard when a new crisis emerges, diverting attention and resources. There should be 1) greater investment to improve baseline foundational capabilities in communities around the country; 2) a standing Public Health Emergency Fund to provide additional surge funds when needed; 3) improved federal leadership, such as through a Special Assistant to the President for Health Security; and 4) upgrades to out-of-date technology and surveillance systems.
Incentivizing Health Care vs. Sick Care: There should be increased incentives and mechanisms for healthcare insurers, nonprofit hospital community benefit programs and social investment funds to support health improvement strategies. Efforts such as healthcare investment in community-wide health improvement programs, “navigator plus support” health and social service integration (such as Accountable Health Communities), Community Development Financial Institutions for Health (strategic planning and financing intermediaries) and pay-for-outcome approaches should be expanded.

The report also includes a set of policy recommendations to address priority health problems that require urgent action, some highlight areas include:

Stopping the Prescription Painkiller and Heroin Epidemics
Renewing Efforts to Prevent Obesity, Diabetes and Tobacco Use
Highlighting Prevention in the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative
Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
Stopping Superbugs and Antibiotic Resistance
Lowering the Rising Death Rates Among Middle-Aged Whites
Achieving Health Equity

The Blueprint was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The California Endowment and The Kresge Foundation.

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

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Trust for America’s Health Announces New President and CEO, John Auerbach

Washington, D.C., October 7, 2016–Today, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) announced the selection of John Auerbach, MBA, as its new President and CEO.

Auerbach brings more than 35 years of experience as a leader in the public health field – including serving as the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Health, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, and, most recently, Associate Director for Policy and Acting Director of the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“John is a true innovator in public health and we cannot be more pleased to have him as the new head of TFAH,” said Gail Christopher, board chair of TFAH and vice president for policy and senior advisor at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “His work embodies a transformative approach to improving health – thinking beyond medical care to support opportunities for better health in our daily lives. We share a vision where every American has the chance to be as healthy as they can be.”

At CDC, Auerbach has focused on promotion of public health and prevention as components of healthcare and payment reform and health system transformation. He also oversees key activities and technical assistance that support the nation’s health departments and the public health system.

Previously, he was, from 2012 to 2014, a distinguished professor of practice in health sciences and director of the Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice at Northeastern University. From 2007 to 2012, he was the commissioner of public health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Under his leadership, the department developed innovative programs to address racial and ethnic disparities, promote wellness, combat chronic disease, and support the successful implementation of the state’s early healthcare reform initiative. He served as the President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) in 2010-2011.

Prior to that, Auerbach was the executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission for nine years during which health equity, emergency preparedness, and tobacco prevention became priorities. In addition to Boston’s public health programs, he oversaw its emergency medical, homeless, and substance abuse services. Throughout his tenure as the city commissioner, Auerbach served as a member of the Board of Directors at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

Earlier in his career Auerbach worked at the state health department for a decade, first as chief of staff and later as an assistant commissioner overseeing the HIV/AIDS Bureau during the early years of the epidemic. He was a founding member and the second president of the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).

“I’ve had a lifelong commitment to health and social justice, from the start of my career as a community health worker in one of the earliest community health centers to having the privilege of managing city, state and federal efforts,” said Auerbach. “We’re in a unique moment to define the next generation of health and healthcare – and I am excited to be joining TFAH and being at the leading edge of efforts to advance the mission of creating a healthier America.”

Auerbach will start in his role January 1, 2017. TFAH’s previous executive director, Jeffrey Levi, PhD, is now serving as Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

Richard Hamburg, who has been Interim President and CEO at TFAH, will be assuming the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

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New Report Finds Adult Obesity Rates Decreased in Four States

Obesity Rates Remain High: 25 States have Adult Obesity Rates above 30 Percent

Washington, D.C., September 1, 2016 – U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states (Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio), increased in two (Kansas and Kentucky) and remained stable in the rest, between 2014 and 2015, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This marks the first time in the past decade that any states have experienced decreases – aside from a decline in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

Despite these modest gains, obesity continued to put millions of Americans at increased risk for a range of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, and costs the country between $147 billion and $210 billion each year.

In 2015, Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent. While rates remained steady for most states, they are still high across the board. The 13^th annual report found that rates of obesity now exceed 35 percent in four states, are at or above 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. In 1991, no state had a rate above 20 percent. The analyses are based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

The State of Obesity also found that:

9 of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South and 22 of the 25 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South and Midwest.
10 of the 12 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South.
American Indian/Alaska Natives have an adult obesity rate of 42.3 percent.
Adult obesity rates are at or above 40 percent for Blacks in 14 states.
Adult obesity rates are at or above 30 percent in: 40 states and Washington, D.C. for Blacks; 29 states for Latinos; and 16 states for Whites.

There is some evidence that the rate of increase has been slowing over the past decade. For instance, in 2005, 49 states experienced an increase; in 2008, 37 states did; in 2010, 28 states did; in 2011, 16 states did; in 2012, only one state did; and in 2014, only two states did. (Note: the methodology for BRFSS changed in 2011).

In addition, recent national data show that childhood obesity rates have stabilized at 17 percent over the past decade. Rates are declining among 2- to 5-year-olds, stable among 6- to 11-year-olds, and increasing among 12- to 19-year-olds. There are significant racial and ethnic inequities, with rates higher among Latino (21.9 percent) and Black (19.5 percent) children than among White (14.7 percent) children.

“Obesity remains one of the most significant epidemics our country has faced, contributing to millions of preventable illnesses and billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs,” said Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO, TFAH. “These new data suggest that we are making some progress but there’s more yet to do. Across the country, we need to fully adopt the high-impact strategies recommended by numerous experts. Improving nutrition and increasing activity in early childhood, making healthy choices easier in people’s daily lives and targeting the startling inequities are all key approaches we need to ramp up.”

Some other findings from the report include:

The number of high school students who drink one or more soda a day has dropped by nearly 40 percent since 2007, to around one in five (20.4 percent) (note: does not include sport/energy drinks, diet sodas or water with added sugars).
The number of high school students who report playing video or computer games three or more hours a day has increased more than 88 percent since 2003 (from 22.1 to 41.7 percent).
More than 29 million children live in “food deserts,” and more than 15 million children live in “food-insecure” households with not enough to eat and limited access to healthy food.
The federal government has provided more than $90 million via 44 Healthy Food Financing Initiative awards in 29 states since 2011, helping leverage more than $1 billion and create 2,500 jobs.
Farm-to-School programs now serve more than 42 percent of schools and 23.6 million children.
18 states and Washington, D.C. require a minimum amount of time that elementary students must participate in physical education; 14 states and Washington, D.C. require a minimum amount for middle schoolers; and six states require a minimum amount for high schoolers.

The report also includes a set of priority policy recommendations to accelerate progress in addressing obesity:

Invest in Obesity Prevention: Providing adequate funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion/Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity would increase support to state and local health departments.
Focus on Early Childhood Policies and Programs: Supporting better health among young children through healthier meals, physical activity, limiting screen time and connecting families to community services through Head Start; prioritizing early childhood education opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); and implementing the updated nutrition standards covering the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
School-Based Policies and Programs: Continuing implementation of the final “Smart Snacks” rule for improved nutrition for snacks and beverages sold in schools; eliminating in-school marketing of foods that do not meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards; and leveraging opportunities to support health, physical education and activity under ESSA.
Community-Based Policies and Programs: Prioritizing health in transportation planning to help communities ensure residents have access to walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation and promoting innovative strategies, such as tax credits, zoning incentives, grants, low-interest loans and public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy, affordable foods.
Health, Healthcare and Obesity: Covering the full range of obesity prevention, treatment and management services under all public and private health plans, including nutrition counseling, medications and behavioral health consultation, along with encouraging an uptake in services for all eligible beneficiaries.

“This year’s State of Obesity report is an urgent call to action for government, industry, healthcare, schools, child care and families around the country to join in the effort to provide a brighter, healthier future for our children. It focuses on important lessons and signs of progress, but those efforts must be significantly scaled to see a bigger turn around,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of RWJF. “Together, we can build an inclusive Culture of Health and ensure that all children and families live healthy lives.”

The State of Obesity report (formerly known as F as in Fat), with state rankings and interactive maps, charts and graphs, is available at http://stateofobesity.org. Follow the conversation at #StateofObesity.

2015 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RATES

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

1. Louisiana (36.2); 2. (tie) Alabama (35.6), Mississippi (35.6) and West Virginia (35.6); 5. Kentucky (34.6); 6. Arkansas (34.5); 7. Kansas (34.2); 8. Oklahoma (33.9); 9. Tennessee (33.8); 10. (tie) Missouri (32.4) and Texas (32.4); 12. Iowa (32.1); 13. South Carolina (31.7); 14. Nebraska (31.4); 15. Indiana (31.3); 16. Michigan (31.2); 17. North Dakota (31.0); 18. Illinois (30.8); 19. (tie) Georgia (30.7) and Wisconsin (30.7); 21. South Dakota (30.4); 22. (tie) North Carolina (30.1) and Oregon (30.1); 24. (tie) Maine (30.0) and Pennsylvania (30.0); 26. (tie) Alaska (29.8) and Ohio (29.8); 28. Delaware (29.7); 29. Virginia (29.2); 30. Wyoming (29.0); 31. Maryland (28.9); 32. New Mexico (28.8); 33. Idaho (28.6); 34. Arizona (28.4); 35. Florida (26.8); 36. Nevada (26.7); 37. Washington (26.4); 38. New Hampshire (26.3); 39. Minnesota (26.1); 40. Rhode Island (26.0); 41. New Jersey (25.6); 42. Connecticut (25.3); 43. Vermont (25.1); 44. New York (25.0); 45. Utah (24.5); 46. Massachusetts (24.3); 47. California (24.2); 48. Montana (23.6); 49. Hawaii (22.7); 50. District of Columbia (22.1); 51. Colorado (20.2).

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Trust for America‘s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

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The State of Obesity 2016

New Report Finds «state»’s Obesity Rate is «rate» Percent, «rank_upper»

Rates Decreased in Four States: Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio

Washington, D.C., September 1, 2016 — The adult obesity rate in «state» is «rate» percent, giving them the «rank_lower» rate, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

U.S. adult obesity rates decreased in four states (Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio), increased in two (Kansas and Kentucky) and remained stable in the rest, between 2014 and 2015. This marks the first time in the past decade that any states have experienced decreases – aside from a decline in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

The State of Obesity also found that:

9 of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South and 22 of the 25 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South and Midwest.
10 of the 12 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South-and rates of diabetes increased in three states (Louisiana, Mississippi and Oregon). «state»’s diabetes rate is «diabetes_rate» percent, «diabetes_rank».
American Indian/Alaska Natives have an adult obesity rate of 42.3 percent.
Adult obesity rates for Blacks are «black_rate» in «state»«black_rank» and at or above 40 percent for Blacks in 14 states.
Adult obesity rates for Latinos are «latino_rate» percent in «state», the «latino_rank» rate.
Adult obesity rates for Whites are «white_rate» percent in «state», the «white_rank» rate, and at or above 25 percent for Whites in 39 states.
Nationally, adult obesity rates are at or above 30 percent in: 40 states and Washington, D.C. for Blacks; 29 states for Latinos; and 16 states for Whites.

Some other key findings from the report include:

The number of high school students who drink one or more soda a day has dropped by nearly 40 percent since 2007, to around one in five (20.4 percent) in 2015 (note: does not include sport/energy drinks, diet sodas, or water with added sugars). «soda_text»
The number of high school students who report playing video or computer games three or more hours a day has increased more than 88 percent since 2003 (from 22.1 to 41.7 percent). «video_games_tv»
More than 29 million children live in “food deserts,” and more than 15 million U.S. children-including «food_insecure_rate» in «state»-live in “food-insecure” households – having limited access to adequate food and nutrition due to cost, proximity and/or other reasons.
The federal government has awarded more than $90 million via 44 Healthy Food Financing Initiative financial assistance awards in 29 states«hffi» since 2011 – helping leverage more than $1 billion and create 2,500 jobs.
18 states«elem_pe» and Washington, D.C. set a minimum amount of time that elementary students must participate in physical education; 14 states«ms_pe» and Washington, D.C. set a minimum amount for middle schools; and six states«hs_pe» set a minimum amount for high schools.

The report also includes a set of priority policy recommendations to accelerate progress in addressing obesity:

Invest in Obesity Prevention: Providing adequate funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion/Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity would increase support to state and local health departments.
Focus on Early Childhood Policies and Programs: Supporting better health among young children through healthier meals, physical activity, limiting screen time and connecting families to community services through Head Start; prioritizing early childhood education opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); and implementing the updated nutrition standards covering the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
School-Based Policies and Programs: Continuing implementation of the final “Smart Snacks” rule for improved nutrition for snacks and beverages sold in schools; eliminating in-school marketing of foods that do not meet Smart Snacks nutrition standards; and leveraging opportunities to support health, physical education and activity under ESSA.
Community-Based Policies and Programs: Prioritizing health in transportation planning to help communities ensure residents have access to walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation and promoting innovative strategies, such as tax credits, zoning incentives, grants, low-interest loans and public-private partnerships to increase access to healthy, affordable foods.
Health, Healthcare and Obesity: Covering the full range of obesity prevention, treatment and management services under all public and private health plans, including nutrition counseling, medications and behavioral health consultation, along with encouraging an uptake in services for all eligible beneficiaries.

2015 STATE-BY-STATE ADULT OBESITY RATES

Based on an analysis of new state-by-state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, adult obesity rates by state from highest to lowest were:

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

Trust for America’s Health Statement on Bipartisan Senate Agriculture Committee Compromise on Child Nutrition Reauthorization

Washington, D.C., January 19, 2016 – The following is a statement from Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO of the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), on the bipartisan compromise legislation introduced earlier this week by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

“The Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016 is an important step toward ensuring healthier nutrition for all of the nation’s children. We applaud the committee leadership and staff for their hard work in achieving a compromise that will build on the important accomplishments that were made in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Around 15.5 million children experience food insecurity each year, with their access to adequate food and nutrition limited due to cost, proximity and/or other resources. At the same time, 17 percent of children are obese. There’s clearly still a lot of work to do to ensure this generation of children receive the support they need to thrive. In our annual State of Obesity report, TFAH highlights programs and policies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in states and localities that can help ensure all children have the chance to grow up with good nutrition. We know what works – but we need to keep moving forward and increasing support to realize the promise of these efforts.

This bill advances some important improvements by increasing investments in school kitchen equipment, Farm-to-School programs and other programs that help feed kids outside of traditional school settings. Unfortunately, there are some provisions in the bill that are not ideal and deviate from the evidence-base, such as not requiring 100 percent whole grains in school meals. But, on balance, the bill represents continued progress in the right direction.

We urge members of Congress to move forward with markup and embrace the spirit of compromise embodied in this legislation. TFAH stands ready to work with policymakers and partners to help ensure reauthorization legislation is best able to support our children, their families and schools.”

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Get Healthy Philly

“Get Healthy Philly” is an initiative of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health that brings together government agencies, community-based organizations, academia, and the private sector to address obesity and smoking in Philadelphia. The organization is making great strides toward a healthy Philly through actions including: designating nearly 12,000 acres of new smoke-free spaces; passing a $2 per pack tax increase on cigarettes; establishing school nutrition standards; menu labeling; and working with food retailers to promote healthy food sales. Accomplishments over the past four years include a 15 percent reduction in smoking among adults, a 30 percent reduction in smoking among youth, and a 5 percent reduction in childhood obesity. The initiative is supported by local, state, and federal funding, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Prevention and Public Health Fund and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. To read more about this innovative program, see this brief summary [link].

District of Columbia Healthy Communities Collaborative

DC Healthy Communities Collaborative—a collaborative of community health leaders and organizations—formed in 2012 to assess and address the community health needs in the Washington, D.C. area. The Collaborative works in four key areas identified as community health needs in the D.C. area: asthma, obesity, sexual health, and substance abuse/mental health. To date, the Collaborative has conducted a community health assessment identifying health needs within the D.C. area and produced a community health improvement plan with strategies to address the aforementioned health needs. D.C. Healthy Communities Collaborative is funded by member contributions. To read more about this innovative program, see this brief summary [link].

Dignity Health’s Community Health Investments

For more than 20 years, Dignity Health, a health care provider in multiple states, has been investing in the health of the communities it serves through community benefit programs and community economic initiatives, including grants and low-interest loans to nonprofits addressing community needs. Investments are targeted to populations with disproportionate unmet health needs as identified through the community health needs assessment and a Community Need Index developed by Dignity Health. Since 1990, Dignity Health has awarded more than $51 million in areas such as prevention, HIV/AIDS services, behavioral health services, and improving access to care. The Dignity Health Community Investment Program has had a total loan volume of $143 million, benefiting the community-based health programs of California, Nevada, and Arizona including: providing affordable housing for seniors; access to shelters for the homeless discharged from community hospitals; and healthy food projects. To read more about this innovative program, see this brief summary [link].