It was my distinct pleasure to meet with the British Consul General, Mr. Martin Rickerd, who follows domestic affairs in the southeastern United States for his government. He was here last week to discuss our challenges with obesity in Mississippi.
Mr. Rickerd has lived all over the world as a member of the British Foreign Service and he is now stationed in Atlanta.
     I currently serve as president of the Mississippi Dietetic Association so we met to discuss the steps that are being taken to tackle our state’s weight issues. Interestingly, obesity is becoming a world-wide topic so the United Kingdom is facing some of the same problems. The Consul General said that he gained weight after his move to Atlanta. Perhaps one of the reasons is our good Southern cooking, but in England he walked four miles a day to catch the train into the city and return home. In Atlanta, he and his wife must drive to a park with a walking trail for exercise. Lesson 1: When physical activity is part of our daily routine, the more likely we can maintain a healthy weight.
     We discussed the current movement to design neighborhoods and communities with sidewalks and parks so that residents can walk to the post office or shopping area and kids can walk to school. In terms of childhood obesity, some of the same circumstances have affected the children in both of our countries. Moms have entered the workforce, video games, television viewing, computer and phone use have replaced outdoor after- school activities. Concerns about the safety of children playing outside are common.
     Mr. Rickerd noted that changes have been made in the school menus in England with the help of a famous chef, but children did not accept the new healthy offerings and many began bringing less healthy lunches to school. Lesson 2: Unless the entire family is involved, it is unlikely that eating or exercise habits of our children will change significantly. In Mississippi, legislation may soon be introduced to require at least thirty minutes of physical activity daily for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Lesson 3: In hindsight, we should have kept physical education and recess as part of a productive school day all along.
     Our healthcare system is built on the principle that all insurance companies pay to take care of those who are sick, but few pay for prevention or health education. Gradually, the concept of paying for people to stay healthy saves money in the long-run is catching on. Medicare has taken steps to pay for diabetes education, but only for those who have already been diagnosed with the disease. We know that thousands of our citizens have pre-diabetes and that diet and exercise can help delay a diagnosis of diabetes for many years. Lesson 4: Perhaps the way to slow rising health care costs is to spend money on prevention and wellness.
     Our lifestyle changes have led to the increases in obesity, so it will take lifestyle changes to reverse this trend.