2011 saw the nation’s obesity rates rise to their highest yet, with Illinois as no exception. Illinois was the 23rd most obese state in the nation, with 27.7 percent of the population clinically obese, according to an http://healthyamericans.org report.
The same report showed that over the last 15 years, Illinois’ obesity rate has grown by over 80 percent from an initial 15.3 percent of the population obese. Despite the high national rate of obesity, Illinois is currently the only state that requires a Physical Education (PE) class during all years of schooling, according to an ABC news article.
Dean Jewett, PE and health teacher, said he believes the rise in teenage technology usage plays a large role in the recent increase of obesity, especially in children.
“When I was growing up…we didn’t have that stuff. The technology that kids have nowadays is…cool, but I think a lot of kids are participating in that, where when I was growing up, it was more outside activities,” Jewett said. “When it started getting dark, [parents] had to go pick you and make you come home, drag you home, because you wanted to be outside. Now it’s like they need to drag you out of your bedroom because you’re on some sort of technology-electronic thing. I think that has a huge influence on [kids’ weight].”
While the state-wide obesity rates have increased, Lake County boasted one of the lowest rates of obesity in the state, according to the Center for Disease Control’s website. Lake County also had one of the lowest rates of physical inactivity.
Jewett said he believes a major contribution to Lake County’s lower numbers is the amount of parks, forest preserves, and trails throughout the community. He said such amenities encourage residents to venture outside, and has personally taken advantage of the trails and parks present throughout Lake County.
Jewett also believes the opportunities for group fitness work help residents stay at a healthier weight. Lake County is the home of many bike, running, and other group exercise clubs community members are able to get involved in.
“You just see a lot of people involved in different clubs that meet up and then they do things as a group, which I think any time you exercise and it’s with a group, you’re more prone to keep doing it,” Jewett said. “It’s easy when you live around Lake County to be active.”
While Lake County may be ahead of the nation in terms of obesity rates, the nation experienced a dramatic increase in obese citizens over the past 20 years. In that time, the nation has gone from having no states with over 15 percent obesity to only one state with a rate lower than 20 percent, according to http://healthyamericans.org.
Obesity is the source of a great number of health problems later in life, according to the Rush Medical Center’s website. Risks include a development of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure/heart disease, respiratory problems, depression, and most recently studied, an eventual increase in loss of memory.