Obesity

Michelle Obama seems to have found her mission as first lady, and it grew out of the planting the most famous vegetable garden in the world. She hinted at what might become her cause last summer when she celebrated the garden's first harvest with the schoolchildren who helped her plant it. She declared that poor eating habits are a root cause of obesity, and obesity is a root cause of health problems that are taxing this country's resources: heart...

Sarah Higgins stocks up on kosher-for- Passover Coke this time of year, and even though she's not Jewish, her shopping habits are a matter of faith. She believes in sugar. And the high-fructose corn syrup that sweetens regular soda? "It is the devil," said Higgins, 30, of Owings Mills. "It's in everything. If you were to go to your fridge right now, it has corn syrup in everything. It's in A-1. It's in salad dressing. I spend so much time in the supermarket - flip it over, if it has high-fructose corn syrup in it, it's not going in the basket."

Last week, I testified in the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates in support of legislation that would require restaurants to post calories alongside prices on menu boards, similar to the laws in New York City and elsewhere. Polls show that customers want this information, and studies show consumers will use it to make healthier choices. Now even the restaurant industry claims to support calorie-disclosure requirements. That's why I doubt the Maryland bill will pass. Let me explain.

This letter is written in response to the article "Panel urges obesity tests for kids as young as 6" by Kelly Brewington (Jan. 18). Ms. Brewington has done a thorough review of this topic, and we applaud the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for calling attention to this alarming trend, a trend that has significant impact beyond just the weight of our community. Research is clear that poor nutrition and physical inactivity has broad reaching consequences. America's childhood obesity rates have tripled in the last 30 years, exposing 9 million kids to a variety of potential long-term health consequences.

To help combat an emerging national epidemic, pediatricians should screen children as young as 6 for obesity and refer them to intensive weight-loss programs that focus on diet, physical activity and behavioral counseling, an influential government advisory panel said today. Too often, when a parent brings an obese child in for a routine checkup, they leave with little more than advice to eat better and exercise. That's not good enough, says the U.S. Preventive Task Force. Previously, the independent panel said there wasn't enough evidence that weight-loss programs could help children shed pounds.

To help combat an emerging national epidemic, pediatricians should screen children as young as 6 for obesity and refer them to intensive weight-loss programs that focus on diet, physical activity and behavioral counseling, an influential government advisory panel said today. Too often, when a parent brings an obese child in for a routine checkup, they leave with little more than advice to eat better and exercise. That's not good enough, says the U.S. Preventive Task Force. Previously, the independent panel said there wasn't enough evidence that weight-loss programs could help children shed pounds.

There are three main areas in public health that need continued vigilance, said Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, now Howard County's health officer after serving as Baltimore's health commissioner for 13 years. The first is substance abuse, which has led to much of the violence in Baltimore. Next is a lack of primary care, contributing to obesity, diabetes and heart disease in the city. Third is the city kids' preparedness for school, including immunizations. "[Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake]

For those of us already feeling guilty about eating too much - and too richly - over the holidays, here's something else not to be thankful for: Maryland is fat and getting fatter. Not pleasantly plump. Not a little soft around the edges. But at heightened (or perhaps more accurately, broadened) risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and many other life-shortening maladies. The latest findings from the health insurer-supported United Health Foundation's annual survey of health care statistics should give Marylanders pause.