12 states with high obesity rates (more than 30%)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released figures on Monday showing that the number of states with very high obesity rates has grown to 12 from 9. Over all, more than a third of American adults are obese. The latest figures are based on a telephone survey last year that asked adults their height and weight. For the first time, households with only cellphones were included. At least 30 percent of adults are obese in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia. Mississippi had the highest rate at nearly 36 percent.

Downsizing Supersize

New Yorker's James Surowiecki about Mayor Bloomberg's initiative.

Sebelius about obesity two years ago

This was a presentation delivered at the first Weight of the Nation conference in July 2009. The approach toward Big Soda is mostly voluntary, lauding the Clinton initiative about reducing the access to sugary drinks in schools. Two years later, the question asked to Secretary Sebelius is about producing a Surgeon General's Report about sugary drinks. When will she give an answer?
Her conclusion in 2009 was:
Reducing obesity - especially for children - would be one of the biggest steps we could take towards this better health future... Indeed. So what about sugary drinks?

Fighting obesity on college campuses

This article was published in USA today in November 2011. What about 2012 and enlisting students and colleges as advocates for obesity control?

Watch: The Hidden Costs of Hamburgers

From Michael Pollan's blog, via Mother Jones site this new video produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting.

How to grow the "movement"?

How to grow the "food movement" is a question Marion Nestle is frequently asked and she wonders how to answer it. She notes there are so many groups around and wonders what their political power would be if they were joining forces. From the experience of the tobacco control movement, the "obesity control movement", is only starting to become aware that it needs to build and use its political muscle: that will require an umbrella organization (with the adequate governance) and a basic political platform where people and organizations can recognize themselves and adhere to.
The internet based tools should allow for the creation of a common clearinghouse/directory/forum similar to what the tobacco control movement had.
It can start with a few individuals and organizations.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead

Chef Tony Geraci, Cafeteria Man in Baltimore, Memphis...

Cafeteria Man is a documentary about Tony Geraci's work for the Baltimore's schools. Unfortunately, only a short trailer is available on line. Here is a longer video about his work with the schools in Memphis. Interestingly I found the links to this information via a post on the social media blog of the Ogilvy PR Group...

Exercising more will not do the trick as far as obesity is concerned

Exercising more cannot replace reducing your calorie intake according to this article in the NYT. That's nothing new but it's so much easier to invite people to move more rather than change their diet, especially if it means antagonizing the very powerful lobbies that benefit from the toxic food and drinks that are the real culprits. Rereading the classic book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn, it is worth remembering the definite advantage of an all plant diet has been know for at least 20 years: the "First National Conference on the Elimination of Coronary Artery Disease" took place in the summer of 1991. Also recommended is the excellent documentary Forksoverknives.
Of course that's not to say we should not exercise... only that this is NOT the solution to the obesity epidemic, despite what Olympic sponsors Coke and McDo would like you to believe.

How long before a Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Obesity?

As of today Michael Bloomberg's involvement in the combat against obesity seems limited to his initiatives as Mayor of New York, although their ripple effect go well beyond the city limits. I wonder how long it will take before it also becomes a philanthropic initiative on the model of his Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use?
Since 2006 Michael Bloomberg has invested $595 million ($125 million in 2006, $ 250 million in 2008, $220 million in 2012) in this initiative that was started after the tobacco control program launched in New York City with former Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden ( now CDC's Director since June 2009) replaced by the present Commissioner Thomas Farley.
How could such a Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Obesity take place? The same way the tobacco control program was developed: beyond the New York City's ongoing projects to reduce obesity, many key decision makers and organizations are already joining forces as they did most recently during the National Soda Summit, to request a Surgeon General's Report about the health impact of sugary drinks or to produce The Weight of the Nation documentary.
The tobacco control initiative involves seven main partners: the World Health Organization, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the CDC Foundation, the World Lung Foundation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (that committed $125 million in 2008).
Can you imagine a similar coalition to manage an initiative to reduce obesity?
How long will it take?
Here is an interview with Youfa Wang who heads the Global Center on Childhood Obesity at Johns Hopkins.

Look at what Bill McKibben writes and does about climate change: nay inspiration for obesity control?

I think there is plenty to emulate. Taking on the fossil fuel industries and taking on the drink and food industries.

Diabetes: how to combat a silent and costly killer? Why is DHHS omitting obesity?

Visiting the DHHS website to look for information about Secretary Kathleen Sebelius since she has still to respond to the letter asking her to request a Surgeon General's Report about sugary drinks I don't find much (if anything) about obesity control. I noticed that a quote at the top of her biography page is about prevention and its great potential positive impacts. Unfortunately I could not find one instance where she directly addresses sugary drinks issues. I find interesting that Howard Koh who is Assistant Secretary used to be at the forefront of tobacco control advocacy when he was leading the health services in Massachusets. Secretary Sebelius is also very much supportive of graphic health warnings on cigarette packs on this post about "How we can protect our youth from Big Tobacco". Why is it that they both seem so oblivious of the principal culprits of the obesity epidemic, Big Soda and Big Food? How is it possible that Howard Koh writes about diabetes without any mention of obesity control?

Ohio PIRG Report: Stop subsidizing obesity

As presented on the Ecowatch daily newsletter this report explains how taxpayers heavily subsidize a handful of huge farm corporations linked with junk food while very little supports healthy produces, like fruit. The press release.

Bananas healthier than sports drinks

This study published in May was funded by Dole Foods. Interesting result and also interesting sponsor.

The Wait of the Nation and The Wait of the Nation 2 or How Bain Capital and Mitt Romney enter the obesity debate

The wait of the nation is an article published on May 24 by Sherifd in Crunk Feminist Collective about the Weight of the Nation documentary.
Interestingly it was republished (in part) in The Root and I came upon it by searching for soft drinks. The Root editors add at the bottom that this article does not represent their opinion... Even more interesting is a second article published on July 16, The wait of the nation 2 that revisits the issues with an investigative twist implicating Bain Capital whose very profitable "health" subsidiaries are targeted in a Salon's investigation.

The "no soda" pledge could start a revolution

The "no soda" pledge started by Katie Sullivan on her blog could start a revolution according to Fooducate that republishes it. I agree. If you look at the comments posted on Katie's blog you can see they are exclusively positive. She is preaching to the choir. It would be interesting to see how to present the pledge to a different audience like... the readers of The Root for instance?

BofA-Merrill Lynch report about global obesity: obesity control is a "megatrend"

As reported in Business Week. “Global obesity is a mega-investment theme for the next 25 years and beyond. Obesity may be the most pressing health challenge facing the world today and efforts to tackle it will shape thinking by policy makers and in boardrooms around the world,” said Sarbjit Nahal, equity strategist at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research.

How to talk/write about obesity in the black community without mentioning soft drinks once

The Root has been publishing a series of interviews and articles about obesity in black americans and recently a conference in DC. What is amazing is that I could not find any reference in any of the contributions to soft drinks or sugary beverages: none. Any explanation? Marion Nestle wonders about influential sponsors. I do too. This post addresses the way the industry has especially and very effectively targeted the black (and hispanic) communities. It refers to an opinion piece published in the advertising magazine Ad Age that salutes such "smart marketing". Disgusting. One more reason for a Surgeon General's report... more explicit than the paper on Oral Health, The Silent Epidemic where Regina only mentioned "lowering sucrose intake, reducing acidic beverage consumption"...

A critical opinion of the Olympic sponsors in The Observer

Here the opinion piece of Andrew Rawnsley (below an extract focusing on health).

The worst Olympic sponsors?

According to Greenwashgold.org. They also target Coke for its behavior in India. Mark Thomas about how Coca Cola was also a sponsor of the Berlin Olympics in 1936. The whole documentary is on YouTube.

Product placement: Coca Cola and the movies

Tobacco Control advocates fought (are fighting) against product placement in the movies. The same product placement strategy is used by Coca Cola (and other soft drinks manufacturers) as shown in this infographics that finds the process very positive. This is a key component of the strategy to normalize drinking Coke, while obesity control advocates should push for the exact opposite.