A growing problem (09/27/2008)

Talk about a dubious distinction.

"Indiana has definitely been a 'leader' when it comes to obesity," Jay County Hospital dietitian Julayne Ross told the Jay School Board this week.

In 1985, between 10 and 14 percent of Hoosiers were considered obese. By 1993, the number had jumped to 15 to 19 percent. By 1997, more than 20 percent of Indiana adults were obese. Today, more than 25 percent fall into that category.

The Jay County Childhood Obesity Task Force wants to reverse that trend, and its leaders know that the best way to alter adult behavior is to change the habits of children.

Diet and exercise patterns that lead to obesity - junk food and a sedentary lifestyle - take shape when we're kids and stay with us for the rest of our lives. They can be reversed in adulthood, but it's much, much more difficult. Just ask anyone who has tried.

Led by Jay County Hospital, the task force includes school nurses, the school food service department, and the Jay Community Center.

Working together, they hope to develop nutritional programs, taste tests to encourage young people to try healthy foods they might not otherwise encounter, and ways of encouraging greater physical activity. School lunchroom menus will also be getting a close look.

There is no silver bullet, and the task force will be taking on a huge challenge.

But the problem is real, and unless the epidemic is addressed it's simply going to get worse.

"Think if we're successful," superintendent Tim Long told the school board. "We know what will happen if we're not."

The bottom line is healthier students perform better, and healthier children become healthier adults. - J.R.

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