A nation at risk, a profession at a crossroads - @ Issue

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 2002 by Ellen O'Sullivan

"Obesity is the dark side of a technologically advanced society."--James Hill, Ph.D., Director, Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

The health of our nation is at a crossroads, and the park and recreation industry is at the center of opportunity and responsibility. Not a week passes without additional news stories focusing on the obesity crisis in the U.S. The most recent data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey aren't encouraging. This survey is considered the most definitive assessment of the weight of Americans. Statistics from this report reveal the following:

* More than 120 million American adults, 64.5 percent of the population, are either overweight or obese. (Obesity is defined as being 30 pounds or more over a healthy weight; overweight consists of being 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight.) These are the highest levels ever recorded.

* Nearly one in three (31 percent) of Americans over the age of 20 are obese. That totals 59 million people.

* Approximately 15 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are overweight, totaling 9 million children.

Isn't one's weight just a personal issue? Not necessarily. Study after study adds evidence to the fact that not only does being overweight influence individual's quality of life, but that there is concomitant toll on society. Among the more common concerns with weight gain are cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It's estimated that 300,000 Americans die each year owing to conditions associated with obesity. There's also the ever-growing cost of health care to consider. It's estimated that obesity now has a greater financial cost to society than cigarette smoking. The cost of health care related to obesity in 2000 was $117 billion.

What does this have to do with parks and recreation? The emerging health status intersection includes shifts in demographics, lifestyle behaviors, community design, economic impact of chronic health conditions and emerging public policy approaches.

The "dark side of a technically advanced society" translates into more people riding in cars than walking or biking. More communities are designed around the automobile than healthy lifestyles. People spend more work and leisure time in front of a screen of some kind--computer, video or television.

There's no doubt that the physical activity and healthy lifestyles landscape must change. At issue is the willingness of our organization, NRPA, to prepare professionals and citizens for a leadership role as this public health challenge impacts policies, practices and programs regarding how we all pursue health and happiness where we live, work and play.

Ellen O'Sullivan, Ph.D., CPRP, is a professor at Connecticut State University in New Haven. She moderated the forum "Active Living/Healthy Lifestyles" at last month's NRPA National Congress & Expo in Tampa Bay, Fla.