Samuel
Sat, Aug-25-07, 20:13
Huckabee: Obesity epidemic could shake national economy, security
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
BILOXI, Miss. - Republican presidential candidate and self-described "recovering foodaholic" Mike Huckabee told Southern governors Saturday that an obesity epidemic could cause serious problems for the American economy, and even for national security.
"Today we hear a lot about the war on terror, how we need to fight it," said Huckabee, who lost 110 pounds several years ago when he was governor of Arkansas. "Let me ask this question _ who's going to fight it in the future if we're a generation so sick that we don't have the capacity to show up for work?"
Huckabee also told an audience at the Southern Governors' Association convention that obesity is creating the first generation of Americans who might not live as long as their parents.
Huckabee _ who left office in January after having been governor since July 1996 _ implemented several programs to battle weight problems Arkansas, including having public schools measure students' body fat.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, said during the SGA panel discussion that the eight fattest states in the nation are all in the South.
"I don't know that fried has anything to do with it," Barbour said. "But we weren't raised eating right in the South. But the good news is we can do something about it."
Susan R. Cooper, director of Tennessee's Project Diabetes, said that in one of the state's large metropolitan counties, an average of one patient a day has a leg amputated because of diabetes.
Cooper said many states' health care costs are increasing because of problems caused by people being overweight.
"We're fat, we don't move enough, we don't eat well, we smoke, and we're killing ourselves off day by day by day," Cooper said.
Dr. William Rowley, who worked 30 years as a vascular surgeon and now works at the Institute for Alternative Futures, said 61 percent of U.S. active duty military personnel are overweight.
Huckabee said the military statistic disturbs him.
"You've got a serious situation with a generation of kids coming up so unhealthy they won't be able to pass the military physical," Huckabee said in an interview after the SGA panel discussion. "We keep talking about the war on terror _ who's going to fight it if we don't have enough people who are healthy enough to show up and pick up a backpack?"
Huckabee said presidential candidates are focusing too little attention on obesity _ an issue he says could damage the national economy by escalating health care costs and making workers less productive.
"I think right now I'm the only person running for president on either ticket who has a depth of background in dealing with it, from a practical standpoint," Huckabee said. "Others maybe have some philosophical views, but they don't have a record of actually having implemented programatic and cultural changes to make it happen."
Barbour said Mississippi has "shamelessly and proudly" copied several obesity-fighting policies that Huckabee started in Arkansas, including producing TV ads to promote walking.
Barbour has frequently talked about his own struggle with what he calls "waist management."
Although he does not publicly divulge his weight, Barbour said in an interview Saturday that he lost 20 pounds on a diet he started last year. He said he regained 10 after hurting his back on an elliptical exercise machine in the spring. Barbour said he recently started working out 40 minutes a day, four or five times a week, on a stationary bicycle in the Gov.'s Mansion.
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
BILOXI, Miss. - Republican presidential candidate and self-described "recovering foodaholic" Mike Huckabee told Southern governors Saturday that an obesity epidemic could cause serious problems for the American economy, and even for national security.
"Today we hear a lot about the war on terror, how we need to fight it," said Huckabee, who lost 110 pounds several years ago when he was governor of Arkansas. "Let me ask this question _ who's going to fight it in the future if we're a generation so sick that we don't have the capacity to show up for work?"
Huckabee also told an audience at the Southern Governors' Association convention that obesity is creating the first generation of Americans who might not live as long as their parents.
Huckabee _ who left office in January after having been governor since July 1996 _ implemented several programs to battle weight problems Arkansas, including having public schools measure students' body fat.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, said during the SGA panel discussion that the eight fattest states in the nation are all in the South.
"I don't know that fried has anything to do with it," Barbour said. "But we weren't raised eating right in the South. But the good news is we can do something about it."
Susan R. Cooper, director of Tennessee's Project Diabetes, said that in one of the state's large metropolitan counties, an average of one patient a day has a leg amputated because of diabetes.
Cooper said many states' health care costs are increasing because of problems caused by people being overweight.
"We're fat, we don't move enough, we don't eat well, we smoke, and we're killing ourselves off day by day by day," Cooper said.
Dr. William Rowley, who worked 30 years as a vascular surgeon and now works at the Institute for Alternative Futures, said 61 percent of U.S. active duty military personnel are overweight.
Huckabee said the military statistic disturbs him.
"You've got a serious situation with a generation of kids coming up so unhealthy they won't be able to pass the military physical," Huckabee said in an interview after the SGA panel discussion. "We keep talking about the war on terror _ who's going to fight it if we don't have enough people who are healthy enough to show up and pick up a backpack?"
Huckabee said presidential candidates are focusing too little attention on obesity _ an issue he says could damage the national economy by escalating health care costs and making workers less productive.
"I think right now I'm the only person running for president on either ticket who has a depth of background in dealing with it, from a practical standpoint," Huckabee said. "Others maybe have some philosophical views, but they don't have a record of actually having implemented programatic and cultural changes to make it happen."
Barbour said Mississippi has "shamelessly and proudly" copied several obesity-fighting policies that Huckabee started in Arkansas, including producing TV ads to promote walking.
Barbour has frequently talked about his own struggle with what he calls "waist management."
Although he does not publicly divulge his weight, Barbour said in an interview Saturday that he lost 20 pounds on a diet he started last year. He said he regained 10 after hurting his back on an elliptical exercise machine in the spring. Barbour said he recently started working out 40 minutes a day, four or five times a week, on a stationary bicycle in the Gov.'s Mansion.