MISSOURIANS ARE GETTING FATTER, NEW STUDY FINDS

Being overweight is more than not looking good in a swimsuit; it can be a matter of life and death.

"Being obese can put you at a higher risk for many health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and cardiovascular problems like heart attack and stroke," said Sandy Braswell, assistant manager of the fitness and wellness department at St. Francis Medical Center.

That is why officials at the Missouri Department of Health are concerned about a new study that found that more than one-third of Missourians, 67.8 percent, are either overweight or obese, a 78 percent increase in the number of overweight and obese Missourians since 1987.

"If you are going to address the chronic diseases that cause premature death, you have to deal with the main risk factors for those diseases, which include tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle and inappropriate nutrition," said Bernard Malone, director of the Missouri Health Department's Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which conducted the study.

It is the latter -- sedentary lifestyle and inappropriate nutrition -- that lead to being overweight, said Debbie Leoni, manager of the fitness and wellness department at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

People are not as physically active as they should be, and they tend to eat too much fat and too many calories, Leoni said.

"Many people understand that they need to loose weight," Malone said about what the study found. "But they didn't understand it takes more than cutting back on fat and calories. They didn't understand that it takes both a low-fat, balanced diet and an exercise program."

Malone said the study will be used to implement state and local programs that encourage good eating and exercise habits. More importantly, he said, the study pointed out the need to make those programs easily accessible and secure.

"We've worked to establish walking trails in Southeast Missouri," Malone said. "But if those trails aren't lighted, people won't use them at night. If people don't feel secure, they won't come out."

He said steps may involve working with schools to keep gyms open after school or lengthening the time children spend in physical activities at school and day-care centers.

He said the study found the prevalence of those who are overweight is slightly higher among males, African-Americans, low-income individuals and those between ages 35 and 45.