The Ohio government is expanding its efforts to improve public health through its Ohio Obesity Prevention Plan. Currently, Ohio ranks as the 17th most obese state. While the Ohio Department of Health's 129-page plan is comprehensive, it focuses on preventative measures. The editorial board of The Miami Student supports the state's objective of combating the obesity epidemic and believes the plan sets the foundation for future success.
Although the plan will increase government expenditures on health in the short term, it will likely save money in the long term. In Ohio, medical treatment of health complications directly caused by obesity costs an estimated $3.3 billion annually, according to the plan. By targeting children, the plan is an attempt to prevent the development of this costly disease. While children will be educated in school, public health campaigns will work to educate parents, allowing them to set a healthy example for their children.
We applaud the plan to make government-funded meal programs healthier. With adequate nutrition, children will be better able to focus in school. This aspect of the program helps to cover those for whom cost discourages healthy eating. Also by instilling healthy habits early in life, children will be more likely to remain healthy throughout their lives. By college, the impressionability of youth is largely diminished and lifestyle patterns have been set. The purpose of early education is to establish lifelong skills, so when children become young adults and lead independent lives they will make smart choices-they won't need an external reason, such as a jogging or weightlifting class, to go exercise but will have the internal motivation to make time to do so on their own.
We wish to recognize Miami University does an outstanding job in making healthful food available. From the choice of salad dressings to the salad bar itself, Miami has made healthy eating easy and available for college students. Grade schools might consider imitating practices found here, such as always serving fat-free mayonnaise or using whole-wheat breads. Still, government provision of healthful choices to children should be accompanied by increasing access to healthy options for adults. For many, the convenient locations and low prices of fast food make it an attractive option. One way to curb consumption of junk food would be to create a disincentive. Taxing candy, as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick proposed earlier this year, would discourage such purchases. Even if it were not very successful at reducing consumption of such treats, it would increase government revenue, which could then fund prevention programs or cover costs of obesity.
The plan is large, so the state must be careful when implementing it to not to let some elements get overlooked or left out entirely. While its goals are ambitious, the plan provides for reevaluation every year, which will allow changes to be made. We believe even though some of the short-term provisions may not be practical, the end goal depends more on the long term. The American culture, particularly the attitude toward food, must be changed. This must be accomplished from the bottom up, by focusing on the youth of the nation.
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