LARD: Connecticut's Obesity Problem

It’s summertime, and we all know why we go to the beach; get a little sun, swim in the surf, probably have a few drinks. We all know what we see when we get to the beach: Squealing children, back hair, men in tight bathing suits showing off too much of too little, and of course… fat people.

There are incredibly over-sized people everywhere, immodestly displaying the skin that covers the sizable portions of their girth. These people can be counted on to bring their overweight children to the beach with them, engage in no physical activity while there, apart from that involved in carrying massive amounts of junk food to consume while there.

On a recent trip to a beach, I witnessed one young woman who was so heavy she had about three feet of the fabric from her bikini bottoms jammed up her crack. It appeared that the bottoms had the word “LARD” scrawled across them. Appropriate, I thought. Then she bent over to grab a bag of Fritos, and it became obvious that the bottoms actually read “LIFEGUARD.” Nothing brings into focus the epidemic of obesity like a visit to the beach.

Obesity has been on a steady incline in Connecticut, like in most of the rest of the country, since the 1990’s. It is estimated that 37% of state residents are overweight, and 18% are obese. About 48% are reported to engage in almost no physical activity. In 1985, less than 10% of Connecticut’s population was considered obese.

According to the Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut is ranked with the fifth lowest prevalence of obesity in the nation. However, the increase of obesity from 1993-2002 of 64% outpaced the national average. This creates obvious health issues. Along with increased obesity comes increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, and congestive heart failure. This puts a giant strain on the healthcare industry. It is estimated that 9% of all healthcare spending is associated with obesity-related expenses.

The CT state legislature has, like other state legislatures, attempted to tackle the problem with bills that ban soda and snack sales in school. These are band-aids. The real root of the problem is at home. When obese parents who were never taught about nutrition and exercise pass on these habits to their children, you have an epidemic that perpetuates itself.

The state needs to educate parents and children in this area, or the obesity rate will continue to grow, and spill over like a flabby gut out of tight jeans into the next generation.