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Our Big Problem

Alabama has plenty of problems. There’s one problem, however, many of us can see every time we look in a mirror.

The below stories encompass an occasional series examining the spread of obesity and related health problems in Alabama, and the bigger questions facing our society as a result.
Bob Davis: Changing our health — and our lives
They marched around my hometown like a small army of security guards, walking an early morning beat as the sun rose. When I was growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it seemed the pattern was set for the older generations in my west Alabama hometown.
Jun 17, 2012 |  0 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend
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Alabama high schoolers near top in obesity, soda consumption
Obesity rates in Alabama high schools are among the highest in the nation, according to a federal study released Friday. Alabama teens also outstrip almost all of their peers in consumption of soda, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a nationwide study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that monitors health behaviors of teens.
Jun 08, 2012 |  0 comments | 13 13 recommendations | email to a friend
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Star to host discussion group, film screening on Alabama's obesity problem
The Star will host a screening of the HBO documentary “Weight of the Nation” at 7 p.m. June 21, followed by a group discussion on what Anniston and surrounding communities can do about rising levels of obesity here and across the nation. Admission is free and everyone is encouraged to attend.
Jun 01, 2012 |  0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend
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JSU’s slimmer 4: Take ’em on tour
That sound you heard is opportunity landing squarely in the laps of minders at Jacksonville State University. Let’s encourage them to make the most of it.
May 02, 2012 |  0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend
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JSU team takes second in state weight-loss contest
A Calhoun County team comprised of Jacksonville State University football coaches has won second place in a statewide weight-loss contest.
Apr 30, 2012 |  0 comments | 11 11 recommendations | email to a friend
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Does church make you fat? Churchgoers tend to be overweight
Bishop Reinaldo Whyte lost 30 pounds after his wife, Jenniffer, became a Zumba instructor. But he’s had a hard time convincing people that staying in shape is his duty as a Christian — or that obesity is something churches should address.
Apr 21, 2012 |  0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
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Anniston Police officers Derrick Kirby and Emily Randles stretch before they run at McClellan. (Anniston Star photo by Stephen Gross)
Police recognize value of staying in shape, even if schedule makes it difficult
In Calhoun County, officials at the Anniston, Jacksonville and Oxford police departments estimated about 10 percent of the officers on their respective forces are overweight or obese.
Apr 15, 2012 | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend
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Sweating to our health: An active lifestyle plays a huge role in trimming our waistlines
Calhoun County, our home, is a centerpiece to Alabama’s ecotourism movement. That brings certain advantages.
Apr 13, 2012 |  0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
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Photo by Trent Penny; Illustration by Bran Strickland/The Anniston Star
Liquid candy: Soda’s role in Alabama’s obesity epidemic
“Is sugar toxic?” 60 Minutes asked in a recent report. Three researchers, writing recently in Nature magazine, floated the idea that sugary sodas are so dangerous they should be treated like alcoholic beverages, meaning underage children shouldn’t be allowed to drink them.
Apr 11, 2012 |  0 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend
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A full plate of fat: The state’s obesity crisis has many causes
The reason for Alabama’s statewide health epidemic isn’t a rise in childhood obesity, or our passion for Southern cuisine, or our preference for driving instead of walking to work. It’s because Alabama doesn’t have enough skinny people. Follow that?
Apr 11, 2012 |  0 comments | 11 11 recommendations | email to a friend
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