Obesity is tipping the scales as one of Rhode Island’s biggest problems.
Over the last 20 years in Rhode Island, the percentage of the population that is obese has increased from 11.1 percent to 22 percent.
That’s an alarming trend, and it’s playing out in just about every community across the country. In fact, it’s a trend that has catapulted obesity to one of the top health problems facing our state and our nation.
According to the 20th Annual America’s Health Rankings released recently, obesity has increased nearly 130 percent since the rankings were first issued. A whopping 27 percent of the U.S. population is now considered obese. Rhode Island now ranks fourth among all the states in obesity.
If current trends continue, nearly 36.1 percent of Rhode Islanders will be obese within the next decade, costing our state a projected $1 million – or $1,163 per adult – for state health care spending. Most of that spending comes from obesity-related health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
That’s why there is a growing consensus that tackling our obesity epidemic is a critical element of reducing the rates of chronic disease and reining in rising health care costs.
We have to do more in Rhode Island to reduce the prevalence of obesity in our communities. And while it’s important to provide programs and resources for adults, it’s even more critical to focus on breaking the cycle among our youth, among whom the rates of obesity have more than doubled in the last three decades.
Through initiatives like the UnitedHealthcare Health Bee, health education is becoming more interactive and engaging. At the annual health bee, students from across local Boys and Girls Clubs in Providence challenge their health knowledge as they compete by answering questions about physical fitness, nutrition and making healthy choices.
Such programs are a crucial part of the solution to the serious dangers posed by our growing waistlines.
We should commend the young people in our area who are already making a difference and join them in taking action on this important issue. Our physical health as a community, and our fiscal health as a nation, depends on it.
Find more information about
obesity rates in Rhode Island, their
related health problems, and actions
you can take to combat the problem at
www.americashealthrankings.org. •
Stephen Farrell is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Rhode Island.
