Childhood obesity problem in Hawai'i

Earlier in the semester in my EXSC-205Lxg class (The Science of Human Performance), we discussed obesity and how serious of an issue it is for the United States, as well as other countries around the world. We learned that presently, about 15-20% of children (under 17 years of age) in the US are considered obese (BMI ≥ 30). However, I did not think that obesity or childhood obesity was a problem in Hawai'i until I came across this article today:

Campaign tackles childhood obesity

The article states that a 2003 Hawai'i study found that almost 1 out of 3 children entering kindergarten was overweight or obese, and the problem is worse in rural communities, where this number is up to 40% for Hawai'i's public school children entering kindergarten. With childhood obesity increasing at such a rapid pace (in the 1970's, only about 5% of children in the US were overweight), these numbers are probably even higher today.

These are alarming statistics, and I was quite surprised to hear that obesity is such a major problem in Hawai'i. I had always thought that Hawai'i was a relatively active state - I always see people walking, running, biking, etc. in East Honolulu.

I agree with Dr. May Okihiro that one of the contributions to the overweight/obesity problem is probably the local culture centered around food. Food is at the heart of every gathering, and this cultural emphasis on food has given Hawai'i's children an unhealthy mindset.

Of course, portion size is also an issue, and this factor is definitely not unique to Hawai'i; people everywhere around the US have come to expect gigantic portions for less money - that is "value." And then there is lifestyle - children nowadays spend more time indoors playing computer and video games, rather than playing outside or participating in sports.

But another contributor to the problem could be the food itself. A lot of Hawaiian/local food is very fattening - kalua pork, loco moco, andagi, malasada, etc. And this is in addition to other unhealthy favorites like McDonald's, sodas, etc.

It is good that the state is trying to address this problem because obesity causes many health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and more.