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Orange County Responds to Obesity
with Regional Collaborative Efforts
(Santa Ana)
- The California Department of Health Services (CDHS) recently announced
that physical inactivity, obesity, and overweight costs California $21.7
billion a year in direct and indirect medical care ($10.2 billion),
workers’ compensation ($338 million), and lost productivity ($11.2
billion). The report, The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity,
Obesity, and Overweight in California Adults: Health Care, Workers’
Compensation, and Lost Productivity, estimated the annual costs of
physical inactivity at $13.3 billion, obesity at $6.4 billion, and
overweight at $2.0 billion. (The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity,
Obesity and Overweight in California Adults is available online at
www.ca5aday.com.)
About three-quarters of the costs were found to be shouldered by public
and private employers in the forms of health insurance and lost work
productivity. The report projected that costs would reach $28 billion in
2005 if population trends and rising health care costs continued. This is
the first such research conducted for California.
“The cost is staggering. The implications these numbers have on Orange
County is very significant,” said Mark Horton, Orange County Public Health
Officer. “Everyone needs to have access to healthy food and opportunities
to engage in physical activity at the worksite and in their communities.
This is vital for our community’s health, and for our economy.”
In Orange County, special efforts are being made to address the growing
number of overweight children, tomorrow’s workforce. Orange County brought
together community leaders, business leaders, policymakers, city planners,
and educational institutions to address the growing obesity crisis. Orange
County Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (NuPAC) members are
working together to improve policies and the environment so that it is
easier for Orange County residents to make healthy eating and physical
activity choices.
NuPAC members, representing over 75 organizations, have been able to
coordinate their efforts to aid local groups in providing education,
implementing campaigns and successfully applying for funds to support
additional projects. Last year, NuPAC co-sponsored the California Elected
Women’s Association for Education and Research forum and provided
presentations at multiple events. Information was shared with mayors,
school superintendents and other policymakers. Additional work focused on
bringing Farmers’ Markets to low-income areas and encouraging schools to
use the CDC’s School Health Index, to assess their environment. Priority
areas for the future include improving access to healthy foods, walkable
communities and workplace wellness. NuPAC has plans to share today’s
obesity report with leading businesses in Orange County.
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