Obesity Is a Serious Health Problem for Adults and Children

MARCH 14, 2002 | Obesity compounds other serious health problems, especially in Arkansas, which has the fourth highest obesity rate in the nation, a physician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) warned this week.

Arlo Kahn, M.D., director of the UAMS Preventive Nutrition Project, said obesity complicates heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, which are leading health problems in Arkansas. Dr. Kahn spoke at the Arkansas Preventive Nutrition and Physical Activity Summit at UAMS.

Nutrition Education Confronts Southern Cooking
JUNE 2000

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A scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington, D.C., research organization, warned that obesity is rising among school-age children because of the proliferation of advertisements for sugary foods. Margo G. Wootan, Sc.D., director of nutrition policy for the center, added that huge serving sizes in fast food restaurants and convenience stores are another factor in childhood obesity. She compared a convenience store chain’s “gulp” size of soft drink at 200 calories to the “double gulp” at 800 calories, and a hamburger’s chain’s French fries at 230 calories for a small serving to 590 calories for a “king size” serving.

Fay Boozman, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Arkansas Department of Health, spoke at the summit, decrying the increase in childhood diabetes. An Illinois health official recommended daily exercise for everyone.

”Once people realize that they don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to be fit, then we can begin to make some progress,” Jeffrey C. Sunderlin, M.S., ATC/L, a program administrator with the Illinois Department of Health, said.

Links on This Page

Nutrition Education: http://www.uams.edu/info/pdfs/southern.pdf
Preventive Nutrition Project: http://preventivenutrition.uams.edu/
Center for Science: http://www.cspinet.org

© 2002 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. “UAMS,” “UAMS Medical Center,” “UAMS Online,” “UAMS Today,” “uams.edu,” and “Here’s to Your Health” are marks of UAMS.

03/29/05