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Obesity – the condition of weighing more than is deemed medically healthy – is a health crisis in Nebraska. In fact, 63% of adults in Nebraska — seven out of every ten Nebraskan men and more than half of Nebraskan women — are overweight or obese. The state’s adult obesity rate increased in 2008 for the third year in a row. Rates of type 2 diabetes, a disease typically associated with obesity, increased in Nebraska again, as well.

We also have the undesirable distinction of being the least active people in the country, ranking 50th among the 50 states in fitness. And, our kids are suffering, too: 12 percent of Nebraska’s children age 10-17 are overweight, according to a 2005 survey by the Data Resource Center on Child and Adolescent Health. As if that weren’t enough, obesity is even hitting our pocketbooks. The cost to our taxpayers for dealing with obesity-related illnesses is a staggering $454 million per year!

The facts are clear. Obesity is killing our state – physically and financially. Obviously, something has to be done.  But what?

Facing the Crisis

Healthy weight is calculated not in terms of poundage, but in terms of individual body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated as weight in pounds x 703 / (height in inches)2

A person whose BMI is at least 25 is considered overweight; someone with a BMI of 30+ is medically obese.

There is no easy road to beating obesity. For some of us, willpower is enough to maintain a healthy diet and activity level. Others try losing weight via drugstore-paperback-type diets or so-called weight-loss pills. Neither is a realistic long-term solution to the problem. For most obese people, the best option is a medically-supervised program of gradual weight loss my means of dietary and lifestyle modification. Sadly, however, some obesity cases are too far advanced for this to work.

Fortunately, another option exists: weight loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery).

Losing It

Surgical weight loss is a proven remedy for severe obesity and obesity-related health problems for individuals with a BMI of 35 or higher. By physically altering a patient’s stomach so that they can eat only small amounts of food at any given time, these surgeries enable the patient to lower their daily caloric intake and lose weight.

The surgery itself is only the beginning, however. Patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain the weight they lost or reach a weight-loss plateau over time.

Weight loss surgery is a serious medical procedure that exposes the patient to low but significant risks. There is always the possibility of major postoperative complications, including anemia, ulcers, internal hernias, calcium deficiencies and gallstone. And, the decision to undergo most types of weight loss surgery is generally irrevocable. Those considering surgery for the management of obesity should consult with their physician before making a decision.

Let’s Do It!

Nebraskans can face this crisis, but only as a team. By keeping the goal of a healthier Cornhusker State in mind, we can overcome the problems caused by widespread obesity. Let’s do it!

Mississippi is in deep trouble. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Magnolia State is in the grip of an epidemic: the epidemic of obesity. Across our state, the number of overweight and obese individuals is rapidly increasing. In fact, almost 66% of the population of Mississippi is overweight or obese, making Mississippi the nation’s least healthy state. Diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are endemic in Mississippi’s population, especially within ethnic groups prone to being overweight. And it’s not just adults — a recent study using a sample of African-American children in the rural town of Canton, Mississippi revealed that 46% were overweight or at risk of being so.

Obesity is the second most frequent cause of preventable death in the United States, and Mississippi natives are not alone in their fight. However, if not addressed, severe and morbid obesity often lead to a shortened life span because those who suffer from obesity face a significantly higher risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

This epidemic cannot be allowed to rage unchecked. Mississippi cannot be allowed to remain the nation’s least healthy state. Something must be done.

Getting Fit

Obesity is not simply a matter of losing weight, nor is it a character flaw. It is a disease caused by a disordered relationship with food. Losing weight is simple math: when a person takes in fewer calories each day than their body needs to function, the body begins to burn fat to stay alive, resulting in weight loss.

The difficulty comes in restricting caloric intake – the primal urge to eat when hungry is almost irresistible. And, for some, the pleasure of eating is a substitute for emotional satisfaction. Others are food addicts, plagued by a constant craving for something to eat, regardless of whether they are physically hungry.

The difficulty of losing weight often leads those with the disease to attempt self-treatment, including crazy diets, extreme exercise programs, or “magical” weight-loss pills. Some do lose weight by these methods — but most gain it back fast, and usually damage their health in the process.

No miracle cure for obesity exists. The only way to successfully treat the disease of obesity is through medical care, based upon a complete change in the patient’s lifestyle and eating habits. To beat obesity, our state residents must begin to eat healthier foods in smaller portions. Most people can accomplish this lifestyle change through education, counseling, and sheer willpower.

But for many, weight loss surgery is the only way they can break destructive lifelong habits.

About Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia, usually laparoscopically. Its purpose is to physically limit the amount of food that the patient can eat by surgically altering his or her stomach or digestive tract. The alterations make it nearly impossible to overeat—at least initially—and cause the patient to take in fewer calories each day than he or she burns. Consequently, the patient loses weight safely, and relatively rapidly.

Weight loss surgery, however, is not magic. Only a complete change in a patient’s lifestyle can cure the disease. Patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain any weight lost. Those considering bariatric surgery as an option for the management of obesity should discuss their options with their physician prior to making a decision.

Mississippi can win the war on obesity. We can send some other, lesser state to the bottom of the healthy-states list. By changing our diet and lifestyle – and by using weight loss surgery as a weapon of last resort – we can beat obesity here, and make things better in this state we all love.