CDC Addresses Obesity in the U.S.

A July 24, 2009 report released by the CDC entitled Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, html version or (pdf version) contains some rather alarming statistics. Approximately two thirds of adults and one fifth of children in the United States are overweight. An estimated 33% of adults are classifed overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-29, 34% are classified obese with a BMI of 30 or greater, and nearly 6% are classified extremely obese with a BMI of 40 or greater. About 17% of children and adolescents fall above the 95 percentile of sex-specific BMI for age growth charts.

The CDC is concerned because being overweight or obese increases the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers. To help communities promote healthier eating and active living behaviors, the CDC has initiated the Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention Project which recommends a set of 24 strategies and measurements for communities to use to "plan and monitor environmental and policy-level changes for obesity prevention." The 24 strategies fall under six general strategies:

• promote the availability of affordable healthy food and beverages
  
• support healthy food and beverage choices
  
• encourage breastfeeding
  
• encourage physical activity or limit sedentary activity among children and youth
  
• create safe communities that support physical activity
  
• encourage communities to organize for change.

Vitamin D Deficiency

The Associated Press revealed Oct. 12 that the American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending double the dose of vitamin D for children since there is evidence it might reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease in addition to preventing bone disorders like rickets. Vitamin D is added to milk and formula, but most children and teenagers do not drink enough milk to get the newly recommended dosage of 400 IU a day (up from 200 IU a day). Also breastfed babies are likely to need a supplement.

In addition to milk, other sources of Vitamin D are the sun, fortified cereals, and oily fish such as tuna, sardines, and mackerel. To get adequate Vitamin D from the UV rays of the sun requires 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen a few times weekly. That poses a problem for those living in a northern climate with less sun and for those with darker skin making absorption more difficult.

For more detailed information about Vitamin D, see the National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D (not yet revised with the new recommendation). Also look for changes in the recommended dosage for adults which now stands at 200 IU through age 50, 400 IU for ages 51-70, and 600 IU for ages 71+.