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The
Fat of the Land or:
How
Many Carbs in a Country Ham?
It’s easy to become carbophobic these
days: The Atkins and South Beach diets have shamed
us into it. If you browse the shelves of many
Virginia grocery stores you’ll find such fare as
“low-carb” bread – an oxymoron if ever there
was one. Is all this concern justified? Exactly how
fat are Virginians?
In 2003, the American Public Health
Association reported that 58 percent of Virginia
adults are overweight or obese. Our state motto may
soon be amended to: “Virginia Is for Food
Lovers”! At least we’re not alone in our love
for carb-intense dining. According to the American
Obesity Association, Virginia ranks near the middle
of state obesity rates.
(AOA defines obese as having a Body Mass
Index is 30 or more. BMI is calculated based on
weight and height. Click here for details.)
AOA states that the percentage of obese
Virginians doubled between 1991 and 2001, from 10 to
20 percent. There are 21 states with obesity rates
of 20 percent or less; Colorado has the lowest rate
of obesity at 14 percent, and Mississippi has the
highest at 25 percent. Other lean states include
Arizona, Connecticut and Hawaii; on the heavier side
are Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.
On the dissenting side is the National
Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, which
disputes some definitions of “overweight” and
“obese.” Citing the familiar charts that suggest
a “normal” weight range for a specific height,
NAAFA argues that these charts were devised in the
1950s based on research by an insurance company, and
not on medical studies. The original research did
not accurately reflect the U.S. population because
it focused primarily on white males and was biased
economically. Besides, NAAFA sniffs, “Terms like
fat or large are only bad if we think being fat is
bad. It is a description, not a judgment: people do
come in many sizes."
Whether you’ve accepted your girth or
not, enough studies associate obesity with an
increased risk of heart disease and cancer that the
Virginia Department of Health has taken notice. In
February, the Department launched Lighten Up
Virginia, a four-month project to encourage us
to develop healthier exercise and nutrition habits.
In the project, teams of two to 10 people
competed to see who could lose the most weight.
“The Rowdy Gang” from the Mt. Rogers Health
District, which includes six counties in
southwestern Virginia, was awarded first place at
the opening ceremony of the Virginia Commonwealth
Games on July 16 in Roanoke. The team attributed its
weight loss to the fact that members walked, swam,
gardened, mowed lawns (with a push mower) and played
with children and grandchildren to assure their
victory.
VDH is also responsible for Walk
Smart, Virginia! which targets fourth, seventh
and ninth graders. It challenges them to a virtual
walk across Virginia. Students begin in Eastville on
the Eastern shore and travel through 20 cities –
north to Alexandria, west to Roanoke and south to
Emporia. Participating schools receive pedometers to
lend to students.
Walking will only get us so far,
especially if young Virginians reflect national
trends in snacking. A 2002 survey by the Snack Food
Association and the National Potato Promotion Board
found that potato chips are the most popular snack
in the U.S. More than 1.6 billion pounds are sold
each year! The groups surveyed college students
(definitely a skewed demographic) and discovered
that females prefer sour cream and onion-flavored
chips, followed by barbecue and then plain. Men
choose barbecue, then sour cream and onion, followed
by plain. After potato chips, tortilla chips are the
most popular among male students, and pretzels among
women.
Believe it or not, such choices may
reflect personality types. Last spring Forbes
reported that The Smell & Taste Treatment
Research Center found that people who love potato
chips tend to be successful high achievers; people
who snack on crackers are contemplative and
thoughtful; pretzel aficionados are lively and
energetic, and cheese curl enthusiasts are formal
and conscientious. Somebody should poll Virginia
legislators to discover the snack-based secrets to
their successes.
In the meantime, pass the Virginia
country ham – a slice has only two grams of carbs.
NEXT
UP:
Virginia
Is for Book Lovers, Or: When the NEA Is the
NEAin’t.
--
August 23, 2004
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