offthemenu

There was a time, in the not too distant past, when Philly hung onto its title of "fattest U.S. city" as if it were a gilded cup. But this past week has seen a rather muted reaction to a new study related to obesity. The National Obesity Report Card, gauging the prevalence of statewide initiatives aimed at tackling obesity and issued with rapped knuckles all round by the University of Baltimore's Obesity Initiative, puts Pennsylvania way down the list. It scores an F on initiatives to encourage activity and healthy nutrition among kids and communities. A further 22 states got the same grade, including New Jersey, Delaware and Ohio.

But on the home front, feelings are mixed about the report's parameters. Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA), which offers resources to schools and community organizations to educate their circle about eating and living well, responded to the report's publication with two points. The scare of the F grade, according to PANA communications director Beth Trapani, is "not necessarily a bad thing," echoing the report's co-author, Zoltan Acs, that "The states, and in turn, the nation, have to grasp this issue and take some positive steps."

Secondly, PANA's operations director, Lisa Bailey-Davis, clarifies that the "F" isn't rating the state's health but rather its efforts toward outreach. The report card may indicate the presence or lack of programs targeting obesity, she says, but, "for example, though there's a state commission on obesity, that fact in itself does not reduce obesity." Bailey-Davis says that PANA doesn't break down its cross-state data in the same way, so it's hard to investigate how regions of our state stack up against each other. But they have discussed policy with partners, including Gwen Foster, Philadelphia's city-appointed health and fitness czar. (Since they receive roughly $500,000 per year in federal funds awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PANA cannot directly lobby for legislative change. However, they testify to panels such as a Republican Policy Committee hearing about youth nutrition, obesity and preventative health care held Sept. 22 in Conshohocken.)

While adults have the right to eat what they choose, Trapani says "claiming personal responsibility, expecting people to deal with this problem in a vacuum" is unrealistic. Getting to eaters young is key to PANA's approach: They have initiated the Keystone Healthy Zone schools program, awarding 100 grants to schools that pledge to make nutrition and activity a priority. This year, they received applications from 47 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties, and at least one grant was given to each county that applied. (In Philadelphia, two awards were given.) So while the current study gives no insight into comparative rates in Pennsylvania, a concerted effort against obesity seems strong across the region.

(juliet@citypaper.net)

— Respond to this article in our Forums — click to jump there