by Samara Alpern
Daily lobo columnist
We are fat - and we are getting fatter.
Taking a quick glance around Tingley Coliseum at the Def Leppard concert last week, it was hard to believe New Mexico is one of the 15 trimmest states in the country - take that, sixth-fattest Texas.
The honor of our ranking doesn't mean much, considering that more than half of all adults are overweight or obese across America, even in the slimmest state, Colorado. Even more alarming: New Mexico obesity rates have more than doubled in the last 10 years. Obesity is a risk factor for a vast array of chronic conditions, from cardiovascular disease to joint degeneration to diabetes to cancer.
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What is happening here? As a nation, are we simply more gluttonous and less disciplined than ever before? Possibly - the crowd at Tingley was also evidence of that.
More probable than a popular surge in hedonism is the culmination of modern circumstances into generally unhealthy lifestyles.
"Lifestyle," says Beverly Kloeppel of the Student Health Center, "is one of the hardest things for people to change."
That's because changing one's lifestyle is not only a matter of changing hard-to-break personal habits, but also working against larger societal trends.
The typical American day of commuting, working, eating and watching a little TV is rife with risk factors for obesity.
Driving - It would be easy to get the recommended 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day just by walking or biking to work or the store, but in most cities, living without a car is nearly impossible. These days, the average American travels 40 miles to commute to work, run errands or socialize. That's a lot of miles to cover on foot or bicycle. And often, bicycling or walking isn't just inconvenient, it's downright dangerous - try biking down Central at night and you'll know what I mean.
Working at a desk - 50 years ago, 30 percent more people had high-activity jobs instead of sedentary jobs. In 2000, there were twice as many Americans employed in sedentary jobs than physically active jobs. That means unless you make efforts to be physically active at other times in the day, just having a job can help put you at risk for obesity.
Fast food - Every day, 20 percent to 25 percent of Americans eat in some kind of fast-food restaurant. Harvard researchers found that children consumed 126 calories more on days when they ate fast food, which could translate into a weight gain of 13 pounds per year on fast food alone.
Watching TV - According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the best single behavioral predictor of obesity in children and adults is the amount of television viewing. The relationship is nearly as strong as what you see between smoking and lung cancer. While it is no surprise obesity is linked to inactive pastimes like TV watching, researchers have uncovered some disturbing details.
A British study of more than 11,000 subjects found that the likelihood of obesity at age 30 increased by 7 percent for every additional hour of weekend TV watched at age 5.
This quick sketch of a typical American day - driving to work, working at a desk, grabbing a burger for lunch and winding down with some TV - are just some of the factors that are propelling our obesity rates stratospherically high.
There are hundreds of other factors contributing as well, like availability of junk food, popularity of passive recreational activities like video games, aggressive food marketing, the disappearance of physical education from schools, and so on. Further, there are many personal and emotional factors that can contribute to obesity as well.
America's obesity crisis is too complex to be addressed with admonitions for people to just fix it with "diet and exercise." With obesity being a crucial risk factor for so many health concerns, a comprehensive national address must be pursued.
Meanwhile, individuals seeking personal guidance on weight management and health have resources at UNM. Students can get free nutrition and fitness counseling from Peer Consultants. Call or e-mail them from their Web site, www.unm.edu/~peerhelp to make an appointment. Health practitioners at the Student Health Center are also available for minimal fees, while faculty and staff may contact the UNM Employee Health Promotion Program.
Samara Alpern is a nutrition major at UNM. You can send your health and nutrition questions to opinion@unm.edu or lobonews@unm.edu.
