Survey says South Dakota has rising obesity rate

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – When Dr. Stephanie Broderson was growing up in Hawarden, Iowa, Curry Seed hauled teens by the busload to fields near Elk Point to “bean walk.”
Pulling weeds in soybean fields was hard, physical labor and a rite of passage for rural youths until soon after the 1996 introduction of pesticide-resistant beans.
Fewer youths spend summers detasseling corn these days, too. “All those jobs are gone,” she said.
Broderson thinks the loss of such farm labor for youths could help explain why South Dakota's self-reported obesity rate – once one of the best in the nation – has soared from 13 percent to more than 30 percent since 1995 – faster than any other state. South Dakota tied with Michigan as the ninth worst in the country. None of South Dakota's neighboring states made the top 10 list for highest obesity rates.
The nation as a whole has gone in the wrong direction when it comes to weight, however. In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control initiated a policy measure called “Healthy People 2010” that aimed to trim the obesity rate in 10 years to 15 percent or less in every state. No state made the mark. Only Colorado residents reported an obesity rate of less than 20 percent.
The CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System enlists state health departments to conduct phone surveys on a variety of health-related topics.
To find the obesity rate, surveyors asked residents their weight and height and used the numbers to calculate their body mass index. A person with a BMI of higher than 30 is considered obese.
The self-reported numbers are not completely reliable, but the percentage is unlikely to be any lower.
“We do know, if anything, that people under-report their weight,” said Kristin Biskeborn, South Dakota's state nutritionist.
There are a few statistically significant reasons why South Dakota's rate would rise faster than in other states, Biskeborn said. High school dropouts, people from 50 to 69 years old and Native Americans are more likely to be obese, she said, and South Dakota has significant populations of each group.
Another recent nutrition study also might help explain the problem, she said: The CDC recently reported that South Dakotans eat the least amount of vegetables in the nation.
Portion sizes are a common culprit to being overweight, said Teresa Beach, a registered dietician for Sanford Health. The 6-ounce glass soda bottle gave way long ago to the 20-ounce plastic bottle in most vending machines.
Vending machines often are found in schools now, too, even as school officials launch obesity awareness programs.
“For almost every healthy initiative that comes along, there's something unhealthy that comes along right behind it,” Beach said.
Beach and Broderson both cited mobile devices, video games and hours of daily screen time as other reasons behind the spike.
In the end, they say, the battle against obesity is fought by individuals through personal choices, but the issue touches everyone. For example, payouts for obesity-related health procedures push up insurance premiums for everyone, said Bill Jagiello, assistant medical director for Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
“It's the driving force behind health care costs in this country,” Jagiello said. “You could almost make a list of every major disease and link it to obesity.”
A shift in attitude must extend to those in the medical profession, he said.
Doctors are used to dealing with diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related problems but often won't talk about a patient's weight beforehand.
“Part of it is recognition that obesity is a problem,” he said. “A lot of it is not wanting to offend the patient.”
–––
Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com