West Virginians are accustomed to seeing our state rank at or near the bottom in national reports. It is no surprise, then, to learn that the Mountain State has the highest adult obesity rate in the nation and second-highest rate for kids ages 10 to 17, according to the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate among children ages 2-4 participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children increased from 14.4% in 2010 to 16.6% in 2016. That is the third-highest rate in the nation, which is particularly disturbing because 41 states and territories saw decreases in their rates during the same period.
It does not escape attention that the numbers from which these rankings were determined are already nearly four years old. The situation may be better (or worse) now.
But it remains a good reminder that there are dots still not being connected in our state’s decades-long struggle against obesity and the health problems that accompany it.
WIC is supposed to give families access to healthy foods and nutrition education, to improve the health and wellbeing of kids. It appears to be doing that in 41 other parts of the country. What is going wrong in West Virginia?
It is likely the nation-leading obesity rate among adults has something to do with it. If adults do not have the education, wherewithal or motivation to take care of their own health, they aren’t likely to do better for their kids.
Some policymakers point out the lack of access to healthy foods in some parts of the state. But it is not the whole picture. Are incentives for meeting certain health benchmarks in order? Can we do a better job of educating, not just about healthy eating, but of the consequences of poor choices?
With nearly 40% of West Virginians classified as obese (that is an up-to-date figure), this is a health crisis that affects more people than substance abuse. Lawmakers, policy specialists, health experts and educators who already have plenty on their hands would do well in the coming year to spend a little time addressing this crisis, too.