We can do more to fight obesity epidemic

Nevada doesn’t compare badly to other states in terms of childhood obesity, but there’s still a great deal of room for improvement. That’s the key takeaway from a recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which ranked Nevada No. 29 among states in the percentage of children age 10-17 who are obese. Nevada’s rate of 14.7 percent was slightly below the national average of 15.8 percent and far below the 26.1 percent rate in the bottom-ranked state, Mississippi.

However, considering that nearly 15 Nevada kids in every 100 are contending with obesity — and that long-term health effects of youth obesity include elevated risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer — it’s an issue we should continue to address.

That being the case, this seems like an opportune time to list some of the key policy recommendations on the issue from the foundation and The Trust for America’s Health, and to urge Nevada’s decision-makers at the local, state and federal levels to champion them.

For members of Congress:

Support and expand policies and programs aimed at addressing obesity at the federal, state and community level, including programs in Centers for Disease Control’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, community health programs like the Racial and Ethnic Approaches for Community Health program, and programs that focus on school health in its Division of Population Health.

Ensure that every state public health agency receives targeted support to promote healthy eating and active living. Maintain and increase obesity-related emphasis in the Prevention and Public Health Fund, and support the Healthy Food Financing Initiative in the Administration for Children and Families to ensure that underserved communities have access to grocery stores.

Maintain and strengthen essential nutrition supports for low-income children, families, and individuals through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, and similar programs.

For state and local officials:

Support access for low-income families to home visiting and community-based programs that provide families with resources and connections to parenting education, nutrition programs and other services.

Ensure the availability of healthy food retailers in underserved communities.

Implement evidence-based nutrition standards for foods and beverages offered in government food service and vending machines.

Ensure all restaurant meals marketed to children meet nutrition standards, and remove sugary drinks from all restaurant children’s meals.

Incentivize employers and businesses to expand effective employee wellness programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

A full list of recommendations — not only for lawmakers but for food and beverage companies, hospitals and restaurants — is available at stateofobesity.org/policy-recommendations.

In childhood obesity, being near the middle of the pack isn’t good enough. Nevada’s children need our help.