DESOTO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI - More than half of all adults in Mississippi could be obese within the next decade. A new study ranks the state as one of six, along with Kentucky and Ohio, where the obesity rate among adults could surpass 50 percent. That study, commissioned by the American Public Health Association and other health groups, predicts Mississippi's obesity rate could jump to 52 percent in less than 10 years. Some say that's a wake up call, and they want to make sure it doesn't happen.
"Nationally we have the dubious distinction of being number one, or number 50 however you want to look at it, but we are the most obese state in the nation,” said Chip Johnson, mayor of Hernando in DeSoto County.
Children don't fare any better said Judy Belue, regional health director for a community group.
“Our children are more obese than children in the nation, and in some counties we're approaching 40 percent,” said Belue, regional health director with Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi.
She said children struggle with diet and exercise just like adults.
"Children just are not getting the kind of physical activity that they used to get,” Belue said. “They're not getting any nutritious foods that used to be grown in gardens and fed to us off the table."
That's why Johnson is working with the state department of health to get a federal grant to tackle the problem in DeSoto County.
“This grant would be for obesity prevention and nutrition education,” Johnson explained.
He said the county plays an important role getting adults and children to focus on health.
"The way that we can do that is we can strike bike lanes, we can make sure our parks are accessible, we can put in more sidewalks - just anything we can do to give people the opportunity to get out and move,” Johnson said.
He's taking that message across the state.
“We're training other mayors on what local officials can do to help people have access to good health,” Johnson explained. “If we can set an example in Hernando and DeSoto County that the rest of the state can follow, then we can help everyone.”
