Health and Family

Obesity

Obesity

Often the result of poor nutrition and misinformation, obesity brings with it a host of debilitating health problems and a hefty economic price tag. Virginia is committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle, starting in childhood, to help citizens avoid obesity and live long, productive lives.

Why is This Important?

A healthy community is one in which individuals adopt healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods and being physically active, both of which can prevent or control the devastating effects of obesity. Obesity often results in lost workdays, lower productivity, and negative health outcomes, including diabetes and depression; it also strains private and government health care programs. 

Unfortunately, obesity rates in the United States are still generally rising, with few exceptions. Virginia continues to be committed to healthcare programs that help residents avoid or at least reduce the health and economic consequences of obesity.

How is Virginia Doing?

Between 1998 and 2000, Virginia had the 23rd lowest obesity rate in the country. By 2008, Virginia improved to having the 20th lowest obesity rate, even though the actual percentage of obese adults rose. The state's 25.7 percent obesity rate was lower than the national average (26.6) and all our peer states -- North Carolina (29.5), Tennessee (31.2), and Maryland (26.6).  Colorado led the nation with only 19.1 percent obesity.

Within Virginia, the Southwest region had the highest obesity rate at 38.5 percent in 2008. The Valley region had the lowest rate at 21.2 percent.

The 2007 National Survey of Children's Health found that 31 percent of Virginia's 10-to-17 year olds were overweight or obese, an increase since 2003 of 1 percent. This figure puts Virginia just under the national average of 31.6 percent and ranks the state 23rd highest in the country for percentage of overweight or obese children. Virginia’s rate was lower than North Carolina (33.5 percent) or Tennessee (36.5 percent), but higher than Maryland (28.8 percent). Utah was lowest in the U.S. at 23.1 percent. Of the states tracked here, only Maryland and North Carolina showed a decrease in percent of overweight or obese children in 2007.

Research Revelations

In a first-time, state-level, obesity-related health care study, Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that Virginia's direct obesity-attributable health care costs reached over $1.6 billion in 2003, approximately 5.7 percent of Virginia's total medical expenditures. Virginia has the 14th-highest obesity-related health care costs in the 50 states. More recent studies from RTI and the CDC indicate that these costs have only continued to spiral upward nationwide.

In a study performed by the University of Baltimore (2005), researchers looked at what states are doing to treat obesity as a threat to public health. The resulting report card graded states on their actions to combat obesity in eight different categories, including significant steps via legislation, regulation and education.  Virginia received a "C" (improved from "D" in 2004) for its efforts to control obesity and a "C" (improved from "F" in 2004) for its efforts to control childhood obesity.

Trust for America's Health conducted a study of state and federal government action in public schools, and Virginia met three of the eight Obesity-Related Standards in School. Virginia met standards for physical education, health education, and farm-to-school programs (i.e., programs which encourage the supply of fresh local produce to schools), but not those for school meals exceeding USDA requirements, nutritional standards for "competitive foods" (vending machines and the like on school grounds), limited access to competitive foods, collection of BMI or health information, and screening for diabetes.

What Influences Obesity?

Body weight is the result of genes, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture and socioeconomic status. Overweight and obesity result from an energy imbalance that involves eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity. Behavior, including poor nutrition, environment, exercise choices, and misinformation play a large role in causing people to be overweight and obese.

What is the State's Role?

The state's primary role in obesity prevention and control is to ensure the development of an aggressive, coordinated strategic plan.  Future plans in Virginia also include the development of an electronic statewide resource guide, which will provide a directory of community programs and initiatives in the Commonwealth, as well as detailed data to support future initiatives.