States pushing online fitness programs

Paying for health issues
Action to curtail obesity is badly needed for Indiana, which consistently ranks among the top 10 most obese states, and is second, behind Kentucky, in the percentage of adults who smoke, Neuburger said.

“We are paying for these health issues, whether directly or indirectly, and it has huge impact on the pocketbooks of normal Hoosiers,” he said.

Indiana is far from alone — it’s one of 17 states where at least 25 percent of the population is obese, according to 2005 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a report released in August by the Trust for America’s Health, the public health advocacy group said research suggests the nation would save $5.6 billion a year in costs associated with treating heart disease if just one-tenth of Americans began walking regularly.

Walking is one of the ideas behind Lighten Up Iowa, a Web-based four-month program that’s driven by teams who either track their minutes of activity, their weight-loss, or both.

More states connecting with dieters
Now in its sixth year, the Iowa program has doubled the number of participants to a total of 24,000. They reported losing more than 46,000 pounds and logging more than 12 million minutes of physical activity in January alone.

Lighten Up Iowa has been so successful that 17 other states have modeled their own programs after it, capitalizing on the Internet’s vast reach and ability to connect people, helping them stay motivated, said the program’s coordinator, Deborah Martinez. Its sponsor, the nonprofit Iowa Sports Foundation, recently launched a national version, Lighten Up America.

Although there’s no scientific data on the success rate of such programs, people who faithfully take part in them are certain to burn away fat and get in better shape, said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University’s Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.

“From an intuitive point of view, any program that gives people the opportunity to weave any form of physical activity into their day-to-day life is beneficial,” he said.

The states’ efforts primarily target people who are already motivated, said Robin Hamre, team leader of a national nutrition and obesity prevention program at the CDC.

The federal health agency is trying to combat obesity more broadly with programs in 28 states that encourage fitness through efforts that include building sidewalks and walking trails, she said.

Hamre hopes Congress will fund the program for all 50 states. With obesity striking Americans of all backgrounds, and surging in children, she said action is needed now.

“We’re seeing the same thing in all age groups and all races. This is an equal opportunity epidemic,” she said.

MORE FROM FITNESS

Fitness Section Front

Can exercise help ward off the swine flu? This holiday, take your diet advice and stuff it Heavy college students must pass fitness class Nintendo Wii may provide actual exercise Can working out wear you out? Lack of exercise not to blame for teen obesity? Get fit, faster, with short-burst training Move that muffin top to your chest? Why music makes exercise easier Hula hooping it up for health, first lady swivels Fitness Section Front   Add Fitness headlines to your news reader: