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(Des Moines) – A new report reveals that nearly 18% of Iowa's youth are obese, making it the tenth largest among the 50 states.
Jamie Bussel, Program Manager at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said that childhood obesity remains a major public health problem, with significant financial and societal implications.
Mr. Bussel said, "In our country, nearly one in six young people is suffering from obesity, which greatly increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, by example. "Scientists predict that more than half of children will be obese today. at age 35 if current trends continue. The report focused on youth aged 10-17. In Iowa, 17.7% of young people were obese, compared to 15.8% for the national average.
"We all have a role to play on this issue and we must continue to urge our policy makers at all levels of government to prioritize the prevention of obesity and help all children to have a more secure future." healthy, "said Bussel. The health costs associated with childhood obesity could reach $ 14 billion this year, compared with $ 200 billion for adult obesity. Better diets and portion control, combined with increased physical activity, are part of the solution, and she said we all need to be vigilant.
"We can do it in many ways by ensuring that our schools and daycares provide an abundance of nutritious and healthy foods and that they have the time to do physical activity," says Bussel. "We should also make sure that federal programs that we believe are critical to family supports are accessible to families who need them most."
The report shows that Mississippi has the highest rate of youth obesity (26.1%), while Utah has the lowest rate (8.7%). Although most states remained stable compared to previous surveys, only North Dakota recorded a significant drop in the rate of youth obesity this year.
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