Categories: Post

The Science and Policy of Obesity

Before you start you might want to check out the Chicago Public Health Agenda that overviews the latest statistics on the epidemic.

Current Statistics: From 2005-2009, adult obesity increased by 9% to 29.7%. This translates into 67% of Chicago adults being either overweight or obese. Among Chicago children, available data reveal that 3-7 year-olds have more than twice the obesity rate (22%) than that of young children in the U.S. as a whole (10%). Other local data reveal that 71% of high school students and 29% of adults do not get adequate physical activity, and over 70% of students and adults do not eat the recommended number of servings of produce. In 2010, an estimated 380,000 Chicagoans lived in food deserts.

Question: What intervention policies should be in place to stop the obesity epidemic in Chicago?

c2st

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