OHIO — During a press conference Thursday morning, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff discussed obesity and its adverse health effects as the holidays come closer.
“Too many of us are struggling with obesity and excess weight, and that can have very serious and adverse effects on our health," Vanderhoff said.
Vanderhoff pulled statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which show that Ohio ranks 7th in the nation for adult obesity prevalence. On the Body Mass Index scale, 30 and above means someone is obese.
In 2022, Ohio had a prevalence of 38.1%, according to the CDC.
Vanderhoff said 22 states have an adult obesity prevalence at 35%, and that a decade ago, no state had a prevalence that high.
“America clearly has a weight problem, and Ohio in so many ways is reflective of the nation as a whole," Vanderhoff said.
Dr. Bartolome Burguera, chairman of the Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute at Cleveland Clinic, discussed how obesity can cause other issues.
"Unfortunately everything goes together, so it is a major health issue we need to take care of," Burguera said.
He listed diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and some forms of cancer as possible side effects of obesity.
"We need to put ourselves as a priority," Burguera.
To help ease the issue, Burguera said there are five things people can focus on to improve their health: improving the diet, incorporating more physical activity, controlling hunger and appetite, getting plenty of sleep and limiting stressful factors. Burguera said if it's work related, he sometimes encourages patients to change jobs.
With Thanksgiving coming up, Vanderhoff said it may be tempting to go past the point of fullness.
"I hope you simply think about enjoying (the food) in balance. Do you need a second piece of pumpkin pie or consider putting plenty of greens on your plate," Vanderhoff said.
Vanderhoff said Ohio is trying to help the issue through the Creating Healthy Communities program, which has the mission of "Activating community-led solutions to create sustainable change in policies, places, and population health."
Vanderhoff said the state is also working on a obesity action plan, a project that involves taking a look at what Ohio is doing, what the evidence shows is working and what other states are doing.