Obesity%20in%20massachusetts%20has%20increased%20dramatically%20 %202006%20article

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 Obesity in Massachusetts has increased dramatically

By Stephen Smith, GLOBE STAFF The ranks of the obese increased dramatically during the past decade and a half in Massachusetts, with nearly one in five adults now dangerously overweight, according to a state public health report released today.

Between 1990 and 2004, the number of obese adults rose 80 percent in the state, an increase that is reflected across the nation and that is fueling calls to increase physical activity and decrease consumption of food laden with fat and sugar.

The findings are based on an annual telephone survey of adults' weight and height conducted by the state Department of Public Health. That same review found that diabetes increased by 50 percent among adults during the comparable period, providing further evidence that obesity and diabetes are twin epidemics posing a serious threat to the nation's health.

"It's such a huge issue that it really does need a cooperate, collaborative approach to address it," said Maria Bettencourt, director of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit at the public health agency.

That's why the health department has adopted initiatives on everything from planning to build more walking trails to adopting healthier meals in school cafeterias.

Posted by the Boston Globe City & Region Desk at 01:49 PM