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Report Shows W.Va. Residents Are More Active, Rates of Obesity, Other Health Problems Still High, Agency Says

Posted on: Saturday, 28 January 2006, 00:00 CST

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

More West Virginians are getting off their couches and doing physical activity but the state continues to have high rates of obesity, diabetes and other ailments, according to a report released by the state Office of Epidemiology and Health Promotion.

The prevalence of physical inactivity fell from 31.7 percent of residents in 2001 to 28 percent in 2003, the agency's 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Report said. Women were more likely to be couch potatoes than men, a difference that has existed since 1984. The rate for women in 2003 was 30.9 percent, compared to 24.9 percent for men.

More than half of the 3,349 adults surveyed for the report released Thursday did not meet the Centers for Disease Control's Healthy People-2010 goal for moderate or vigorous activity. Moderate activity produces small increases in heart rate 30 or more minutes a day for five or more days a week. Physical activity produces large increases in heart rate 20 or more minutes a day for three or more days a week.

Despite the improvement in physical activity, obesity remains a major problem. West Virginia's obesity rate, 27.7 percent, was the third highest in the nation. About 39 percent of adults reported that they were trying to lose weight, the report said.

The state had the highest rates in the nation for high blood pressure, disability and arthritis in 2003.

More than a third of adults, 33.6 percent, had high blood pressure and 26.4 percent were disabled because of a physical, mental or emotional problem. About 37 percent had arthritis.

Despite efforts across the state to reduce smoking, 27.3 percent of adults smoked cigarettes in 2003, the third highest rate in the nation.

Only 44 percent of smokers said they had tried to quit for at least one day in the past year.

Still, not all the report's findings were gloomy.

More than 33 percent of adults were eating fewer high-fat or high- cholesterol foods and more fruits and vegetables to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Only 3.1 percent were heavy alcohol drinkers and 11.1 percent were binge drinkers.

West Virginians also paid more attention to health risks. Nearly 62 percent of diabetic adults checked their blood glucose daily in 2003, up from 50.3 percent in 1998.

More than 76 percent reported having their cholesterol checked in the past five years, compared to 67.2 percent in 1997.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

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