The Editor:
I enjoyed reading Dr. Sandhya Gelou’s essay, which framed healthy choices during the holidays – and all year long – as a family affair. Her no-nonsense approach is a breath of fresh air.
It is a family affair, but it’s also a community affair. To halt the rising rates of obesity, the condition should be declared a public health crisis. Parents, school district superintendents, educators, pediatricians, public health officials, hospital leadership, politicians, and nonprofit organizations with a mission to raise healthy children must unite to achieve a shared aim.
In the 1960s, approximately 4-5 percent of children aged 6-11 years old were overweight; in adolescents aged 12-19, about 5 percent were overweight. By 2020, overweight and obesity in these age cohorts grew to nearly 19 percent.
What caused this increase? Changes in the American diet, the spread of ultra-processed foods, a significant increase in sugar intake (notably from highly sweetened beverages), fast food, larger portion sizes, decreased physical activity, screen time, changes in food marketing (especially to children) and other factors.
The increase in overweight and obesity is a complex, multi-faceted problem. We must make a common cause of this crisis.
PeaceHealth, because St. Joe’s is the only hospital in our county, should instead of spending thousands of dollars on billboards touting individual providers, use billboards to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic. Effective billboards could include clear calls to action, encouraging people to visit a doctor and focusing on prevention.
Since our elected county council is the health department board, they should declare obesity a public health crisis, and develop an educational awareness campaign in collaboration with our schools and organizations such as Common Threads.
Chuckanut Health Foundation is deeply involved in the Healthy Kids Initiative. CHF should encourage allocating tax levy funds to educate on the importance of good nutrition. Children with overweight and obesity often develop diabetes, asthma or sleep apnea that can cause them to miss school more frequently, which affects their school performance negatively.
It may take a generation, but we can reverse the rate of obesity. We need to do a better job, starting now.
Delores Davies
Ferndale
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