Obesity has long been a concern in the South Texas area. And two of the leading health officials in the area recently delved into the issue of obesity and stated how it is a serious problem for a community just coming out of a pandemic.
As COVID-19 complications are related to high obesity numbers, these officials state that obesity is a major problem in the community and that more education and physical activity alternatives must be offered to alleviate the problem.
“Obesity is a public health priority. Rates of overweight and obesity continue to grow in adults and children,” City of Laredo Health Director Dr. Richard A. Chamberlain said. “Collectively, 33% of the adult population of Laredo and Webb County meet the definition of obesity, and a further 38% are at-risk of developing obesity.”
Chamberlain states that the statistics stem from data collected by the Texas Medical Association. The City of Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Treviño also sounds the alarm that the issue of obesity is a “significant concern” in the community due to the many illnesses and diseases that are related with the health matter.
Trevino states that some of the problems that obesity cause include diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, fatty liver and others that cause problems for the heart and other important organs in the body.
Trevino states that the reason the problem is so grave is because there are many factors that continue to contribute in the community to good nutrition and education about nutritional food. And many social factors also contribute to the issue.
“The issues surrounding obesity encompass many factors from diet, exercise, healthier food access and education on healthier alternatives,” Trevino said.
“The obesity trends continue to grow due to socioeconomic disparities, food insecurity and differences in cultural beliefs and practices. Understanding our cultural community, a vast majority of the population lacks consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as access to nutritious foods. Additionally, there is a lack of physical activity amongst children and adults in our community.”
The health authority states that obesity was one of the main factors that contributed to a large number of hospitalizations, serious illnesses and even deaths in the community in regards to COVID, as these people tend to have less healthy bodies.
“As we saw in the hospitals, the most critical cases involved patients that were obese or had diabetes, hypertension and obesity-related conditions,” Trevino said.
Chamberlain states that the problem with having a high obesity population is that a high number of individuals with uncontrolled chronic disease can potentially strain local hospital institutions. Eventually, this causes for there to be less room for other people with other illnesses and potentially even for medical costs to rise as well.
Trevino states that facing obesity and trying to live a healthier lifestyle is definitely a good solution to the problem, as healthier people tend to have more healthy components and a better immune system that responds well to illnesses.
“Maintaining a healthy lifestyle allows the opportunity for patients to recover from illness faster and possibly avoid hospitalization altogether,” Trevino said. “An unhealthy lifestyle over time will result in more morbidity and/or mortality.”
Chamberlain states that promoting an active lifestyle by enhancing accessibility and built environments that support active living are the main way to fight of this major problem in the community.
The health director also states that more of the community should partake in disease self-management programs and to enhance and put to use nutrition and diet education. All of these factors combine can help change the tide on how Laredoans eat, and how they can live better healthier lives.
“We continue to urge the community to maintain healthy lifestyle habits, visit with their health care providers for a routine checkup, choose healthier food alternatives and engage in regular physical activity,” Chamberlain said.