While a report shows obesity rates in Wisconsin increased by a small percentage since last year, health professionals stress childhood obesity is still a serious and prevalent issue that must be curbed.

Wisconsin’s current self-reported obesity rate of 29.8 percent is up 0.1 percent from last year, and the rate has been increasing over the past 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This makes Wisconsin the 24th most obese state in the country and puts it on track to reach Trust for America’s predicted 2030 obesity rate of 56.1 percent.

Survey shows obesity rate increase among Wisconsin third graders

Senior communications manager Albert Lang at Trust for America’s Health said although the rate of obesity did not grow significantly between 2012 and 2013, there should still be cause for concern.

“In 1995, Wisconsin’s obesity rate was 16.4 percent. That’s not that long ago and to be at nearly 30 percent now … I think the goal should be reducing and then getting to a manageable rate,” Lang said.

Since there is such a small change in the obesity rate between the two years, Dr. David Allen at UW Health said he worries people will be complacent about the issue of obesity or that people will start to think there has been a major societal change. However, Allen said it is too hard to point to any significant changes.

Allen said he hasn’t seen a substantial difference in the food supply, children’s exercise patterns both in and outside of school or in the types of foods that are incentivized.

Preventing childhood obesity can make a significant difference in adulthood obesity, Allen said. Thus, he said the focus in combatting obesity should be predominantly focused on children.

“[If] kids are already overweight or obese by the time they’re five years old, it’s very difficult for them to avoid obesity by the time they’re adults,” Allen said. “The age that kids begin to experience the burden of obesity begins a time clock of risks.”

He said if we start from an early age, even before kids are in school, and expose them to physical activity and eating healthy foods, healthy lifestyle choices will come more easily in their future.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2014/01/31/bill-require-daily-physical-education-elementary-school-kids/

Keeping this in mind, programs such as the UW Health pediatric fitness program aim to help curb childhood obesity, according to a recent post.

According to a report posted by UW Health, only 2 to 3 percent of families with children who are obese seek help in Dane County.

In the report, UW Health said simple changes such as making homes free of sugar-filled beverages, cooking dinner at home more often and going for family walks after dinner can make a big difference in a child’s overall health.