Sep. 25--State health leaders announced Wednesday a plan to put Oklahomans on the path to a healthier future.
"GetFit EatSmart" contains strategies to reduce obesity and related diseases, such as diabetes and depression, with the help of organizations and residents across the state.
Among the many ideas are eliminating fast food restaurants inside hospitals and other health care facilities, supporting legislation for tax credits to companies that implement physical activity programs and encouraging schools and childcare sites to cut the time children spend watching television.
Oklahoma has the eighth-highest rate of adult obesity and the sixth-highest rate for high school students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sooners would be outraged if the University of Oklahoma football team were ranked so poorly, said Stan Hupfeld, chairman of the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition and president of Integris Health.
"But we are 48th of 50th in every health category, and we are not outraged," Hupfeld said. "I think it's incumbent on all of us to develop a sense of urgency for this plan."
Grant funds project
The plan has been in the works for several years. The state Health Department received a grant in 2004 from the CDC to search for ways the state can counter obesity and related chronic diseases.
Between then and now, more than 400 individuals and organizations provided ideas to those spearheading the effort.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Crutcher, who announced later Wednesday that he will retire early next year, said he hopes to see improvements in health measurements of Oklahomans in five to 10 years.
"Changing the behaviors that we're talking about are obviously complex challenges," he said. To see more of The Oklahoman, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsok.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Oklahoman Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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