the future if obesity policy in the us

It seems clear that powerful interests have killed any chance of a meaningful policy on attacking childhood obesity by re-framing efforts as "taxes", attacks on personal freedom or even as bullying against kids. Even the First Lady saw the scale and scope of her efforts greatly diminished as conservatives heaped public ridicule on it (heaven forbid kids should be healthy and learn how to stay healthy as adults) and agribusiness fought back within the White House.

The issues won't go away and the problem of obesity and it's impact on long term health and short term body image remain - infact the scale of the problem is probably underestimated. In light of is it is meaningful to ask what does work? What can be implemented by communities that are more enlightened and, assuming resources are limited, what is the most effectives use of money.

During today's workout I caught some answers on the Rudd Center podcast. Kelly Brownell interviews Steven Gortmaker of The Harvard School of Public Health. (15 minute mp3) Gortmaker's area of specialization is public policy for obesity and and the analysis of the cost effectiveness of various programs. He offers some high level recommendations of high bang for the buck programs and is worth tracking down if you need deeper information.  Low hanging fruit includes a focus on kids, taxing of sugared drinks, removing the corporate tax deductions on marketing that targets selling unhealthy food to children (I bet you didn't know these could be written off), and removing sugared drinks from schools.  Admitedly these are modest beginnings, but they are beginnings and have been shown to be very cost effective.

Of course there are many other things that can be done and there is no reason why people can't make changes at the personal level, but moving the country in a healthly direction - even if only in small bits - would be great.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Roger]

Acculturation: socialization: the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture; "the socialization of children to the norms of their culture"

Peer Pressure: social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.

It was midsummer 1958, weeks before school would begin, weeks before I would transition from a one-room grade school to a foreboding high school, weeks before I would face the worst humiliation of my life, for I had worn bib overalls and brown work shoes as long as I could remember. And now my dad was discussing with dictating to my mom that, "by god, he will wear overalls and work shoes!" That was a long time ago, and I'm sure his words weren't as nice as what I've written here; they seldom were. I just sat there and quaked, and fortunately my mom and my older sisters came to my rescue. In the end I would wear work jeans and low, brown shoes, which was still far from the fashionable slacks and shoes worn by my peers. My sisters knew; they were wearing homemade dresses and brown shoes to high school and were no more popular than I was about to be.

So why did this happen? Because my dad refused to be acculturated. He had refused to move from the prewar cultural era in which he had grown up into the postwar cultural era. He wore bib overalls until the day he died, totally aware, I'm sure, that they'd come back into style in modern times.

And speaking of modern times, just like my dad, my Chinese friends who grew up in "traditional" China also do not like being acculturated, and like me, their kids, who must face daily peer pressure, do not mind at all. Modern Americans love being supersized, but my petite traditional Chinese friends do not. They prefer Food To Keep You Healthy, but their acculturated kids prefer Food To Feel Good About. I'm afraid though, just like my tyrant dad, those concerned Chinese parents will succumb to peer pressure.

So I'm thinking that the worst thing for one's health right now might be to hold one's breath while waiting for overweight, under-exercised Americans to acculturate into lithe healthfoodaholics. My god, they would be as weird as I was.