Health Indicator Report of Obesity Among Adults

Obesity in the U.S. and in Utah continues to increase, although the increase in rates may be beginning to level off.

Notes

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters.   [[br]]Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 standard population.[[br]] [[br]]U.S. data does not include U.S. territories, but does include Dist. of Columbia.[[br]] [[br]] Beginning in 2011, BRFSS data include both landline and cell phone respondent data along with a new weighting methodology called iterative proportional fitting, or raking. Comparisons between 2011 and prior years should be made with caution. More details about these changes can be found at: [https://ibis.health.utah.gov/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf].

Data Interpretation Issues

Height and weight are self-reported and are subject to being misreported. To reduce bias and more accurately represent population data, the BRFSS has changed survey methodology. In 2010, it began conducting surveys by cellular phone in addition to landline phones. It also adopted "iterative proportional fitting" (raking) as its weighting method. More details about these changes can be found at: [https://ibis.health.utah.gov/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf].

Definition

Percentage of respondents aged 18 years and older who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from self-reported weight and height.

Numerator

Number of respondents aged 18 years and older who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from self-reported weight and height.

Denominator

Number of respondents aged 18 years and older for whom BMI can be calculated from their self-reported weight and height (excludes unknowns or refusals for weight and height).

Healthy People Objective NWS-9:

Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese
U.S. Target: 30.5 percent
State Target: 24.0 percent

Other Objectives

The new U.S. Healthy People 2030 objective is NWS-03: Reduce the proportion of adults with obesity The U.S. target has been set for 36.0 percent of adults 20+ Data Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC/NCHS See :https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/overweight-and-obesity/reduce-proportion-adults-obesity-nws-03

How Are We Doing?

Since 2000, the age-adjusted percentage of Utah adults (18+) who were obese increased from 19.5% in 2000 to 29.4% in 2020. Nevertheless, Utah still has a lower obesity rate than most states. According to a recent ''State of Obesity'' report, Utah ranked 13th lowest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. See https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-2020

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in Utah adults is slightly lower than the U.S. In 2020, the obesity prevalence rate in Utah adults was 29.4%, while the prevalence for U.S. adults was 32.2% (18+).

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Department of Health?s, Healthy Environments Active Living program plays a key role in improving the health of residents in the state of Utah. The program was formed in July 2013 (as EPICC), through a new funding opportunity from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that allowed for the merging of three previously existing programs: the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, and the Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Program, as well as the addition of a school health program. The Healthy Environments Active Living Program was recently restructured as part of this strategic planning process and the new program model focuses on working together with staff and partners to address the social determinants of health while advancing health equity and increasing policy, systems and environmental changes. HEAL works: In Schools:[[br]] 1) Schools are encouraged to adopt the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program. This framework encourages students to be physically active for 60 minutes a day through school, home, and community activities.[[br]] 2) Height and weight trends are being tracked in a sample of elementary students to monitor Utah students.[[br]] 3) Action for Healthy Kids brings partners together to improve nutrition and physical activity environments in Utah's schools by implementing the school-based state plan strategies, working with local school boards to improve or develop policies for nutritious foods in schools. This includes recommendations for healthy vending options. In Worksites:[[br]] 1) The Utah Council for Worksite Health Promotion recognizes businesses that offer employee fitness and health promotion programs.[[br]] 2) HEAL offers a training on developing worksite wellness programs called Work@Health. HEAL also partners with local health departments to encourage worksites to complete the CDC Scorecard and participate in yearly health risk assessment for their employees. HEAL provides toolkits and other resources for employers interested in implementing wellness programs through the [http://heal.health.utah.gov heal.health.utah.gov] website: [https://heal.health.utah.gov/worksite-wellness/] In Communities:[[br]] 1) Local health departments (LHDs) receive federal funding to partner with schools, worksites, and other community based organizations to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables through Eat Well Utah, farmers markets and retail stores. LHDs also work with cities within their jurisdictions to create a built environment that encourages physical activity. In Healthcare:[[br]] 1) HEAL works with health care systems to establish community clinical linkages to support individuals at risk for or diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension to engage in lifestyle change programs such as chronic disease self-management and diabetes prevention programs. In Childcare:[[br]] 1) Ten local health departments statewide have implemented the TOP Star program, which aims to improve the nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding environments and achieve best practice in child care centers and homes.[[br]] 2) HEAL works with state and local partners through the Childcare Obesity Prevention workgroup to implement policy and systems changes in early care and education across agencies statewide.

Evidence-based Practices

The HEAL Program promotes evidence-based practices collected by the Center for Training and Research Translation (Center TRT). The Center TRT bridges the gap between research and practice and supports the efforts of public health practitioners working in nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention by: *Reviewing evidence of public health impact and disseminating population-level interventions; *Designing and providing practice-relevant training both in-person and web-based; *Addressing social determinants of health and health equity through training and translation efforts; and, *Providing guidance on evaluating policies and programs aimed at impacting healthy eating and physical activity. [[br]] Appropriate evidence-based interventions can be found at: [http://www.centertrt.org/?p=interventions_interventions_overview]

Available Services

Action for Healthy Kids Local School Policy CD - for more information, call 801-538-6142. The Utah Department of Health houses the Healthy Environment Activie Living (HEAL) Program. The HEAL ebsite has information on healthy living, including prevention of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke on [https://heal.health.utah.gov/]. The Utah Worksite Wellness Council is a non-profit organization made up of volunteers from organizations across Utah. Information is available at [http://utahworksitewellness.org].

Health Program Information

Overarching Goals: Healthy People: Increase access to resources that empower all people in Utah to reach their full health potential. Healthy Communities: Increase the capacity of communities to support and promote healthy living for all individuals. Equitable Society: Increase opportunities for people who are under-resourced and under-represented in Utah to live healthy and thriving lives. Staff from the [https://heal.health.utah.gov/ HEAL] Program work with health care providers, including diabetes educators, dietitians, pharmacists, community health centers, community health workers, work-sites, and health plans to improve the care provided to Utahns with diabetes. Originally known as EPICC, (The Healthy Living through Environment, Policy, and Improved Clinical Care Program), the Healthy Environments Active Living (HEAL) Program is a program within the Utah Department of Health Bureau of Health Promotion. HEAL focuses on enabling education and engaged change for public health by engaging its three main audiences: individuals, partners, and decision makers. HEAL champions public health initiatives and addresses the challenges of making health awareness and access truly universal and equitable in eight key areas: nutrition, heart health, diabetes, physical activity, schools, child care, community health workers, and worksites.