Yuba County kids getting fatter

As Sutter County children are getting slimmer, their Yuba County peers are packing on the pounds, the latest obesity study reports.

From 2005 to 2010, rates of obese and overweight children in Yuba County increased by 11.1 percent while those in Sutter County declined by 8.4 percent, according to a study released today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The study used physical fitness test results from fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders to determine California counties' progress in a 30-year battle against childhood obesity.

The news about Yuba County was not surprising to Suzanne Nobles, director of the county's Health and Human Services Department, but she was suspect of how different it was from the rate across the river. The overwhelming obesity issue is undeniable, and it translates to shorter life spans and health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease in today's youth, she said.

"Rather than paying attention to increases, it's so critical that we acknowledge this is a serious problem," Nobles said.

The study reports that in 2010, 35.7 percent of Sutter County school-age children were obese or overweight, compared to 41.2 percent in Yuba County. Statewide, the obesity rate for fifth-, seventh- and ninth graders was at 38 percent, a 1.1 percent decrease from 2005.

Sutter posted the third highest decrease among all counties in the state as Yuba tied with Mariposa for the third highest increase.

The news about Sutter was encouraging after several years of efforts to maintain and improve physical education offerings in Yuba City Unified School District, said Ben Liabraaten, physical education specialist. He could not stress enough the value of elementary physical education to combat obesity and set lifelong health habits.

He is seeing improvement among students, but said there are still those with severe challenges. Liabraaten teaches some fifth-graders who weigh as much as adults, with students weighing 160, 180 and even 212 pounds.

At some point, accountability falls back on parents, he said. They, too, are responsible for the health of today's students.

"You hope that something can be done. Change can be made," Liabraaten said.

Healthy choices need to be more accessible to people — in both diet and activity levels, Nobles said.

"We have many areas where healthy food choices are difficult to make," she said. "If you look down Lindhurst Avenue, if you stand on the corner in front of the old mall and you look around, really all you can see are fast-food choices."

Education is key to changing unhealthy eating habits, Nobles said. The Health and Human Services Department plans to soon be putting up posters, hosting cooking demonstrations and giving children food-themed coloring books.

"You absolutely cannot tell individuals what they can and can't eat. It doesn't work," she said. "But making people aware of what healthy choices are and what they look like and making those choices available will begin to make the pendulum swing back in our direction."

Safe access to recreation is another component, Nobles said. Yuba County still lacks safe walking routes in some places, but has made a commitment to sidewalks and bike trails in its General Plan and acquired more park space where people can be active.

With improvements in parks and schools, Supervisor Mary Jane Griego was disappointed to hear the rates were not better for Yuba County, she said.

"I'm just kind of stunned," she said. "Unless we start turning some trends around and promoting and encouraging activity in our young people, I worry for their future."

Gone seem to be the days when children rode bikes everywhere and played outside as today's kids play video games, watch television or sedentarily enjoy other media without burning calories, Griego said.

"It's very difficult to change habits, but we've got to start somewhere," she said.

The Yuba County Board of Supervisors was progressing with a resolution addressing obesity, but it stalled a few months ago. Griego would like to see it return.

"A resolution is not going to make kids lose weight, but it signifies the importance of this issue," Griego said. "The bottom line is we want to create an awareness and work with our stakeholders."

Other efforts to combat childhood obesity are ongoing.

Sutter North Medical Group funds a physical education teacher for the district and also sponsors KidShape, a program for children ages 6 to 14 who are diagnosed as clinically overweight or obese.

Their whole family is prescribed an 8-week program with a registered dietitian, mental health professional and physical activities instructor.

Yuba County is also in the early stages of a program to create policies to tackle obesity and chronic diseases with help of a $40,000 grant.

Changes in overweight and obesity among 5th-, 7th-, and 9th-graders in California, 2005-2010