Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate (HealthDay)

MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing the high rate ofobesity in the United States requires a comprehensive, population-basedstrategy, says a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientificstatement.

The AHA also recommends a wide range of approaches to help people adopthealthy behaviors, such as eating right and being physically active.

About 67 million Americans are obese, and an additional 75 million areoverweight, according to the 2001-04 National Health and NutritionExamination Survey.

"Almost all of our current eating or activity patterns are those thatpromote weight gain -- using the least possible amount of energy ormaximizing quantity rather than quality in terms of food," ShirikiKumanyika, chair of the statement working group, said in a preparedstatement. "People haven't just made the decision to eat more and moveless; the social structure has played into people's tendencies to go forconvenience foods and labor-saving devices."

Making policy and environmental changes at the local, state and federallevels could help boost healthy eating and physical activity withoutrequiring deliberate action by individuals.

"We're not talking about creating a dieting society, but looking atchoices people make in day-to-day living that affect their ability tomanage their weight and then trying to change the environment tofacilitate healthier choices," said Kumanyika, a professor of epidemiologyat the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

The statement outlines the following areas to identify targets forchange:

• Locations of fast food restaurants.
• Restaurant portion sizes
• Availability of high-fat, low-fiber foods and sweetened drinks.
• Community design and infrastructure, which involves assessing land-usemix and walkability of neighborhoods, including: adequate sidewalks andareas for physical activity; accessibility of jobs, schools and recreationby walking or cycling; availability of public transportation.

"The concept of population-level interventions to change contexts forindividual behavior is well-known from the experience with tobaccoregulations," Kumanyika said. "Changes in these areas can eventuallybecome 'normal' and displace the current 'normal' ways of doing things.Right now, you have to be pretty single-minded to make some of thesechoices, such as walking or riding a bike instead of driving. We advocatechanges that will move the social norm to where physical activity is thecustom."

The statement was published in the current issue ofCirculation.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about .