With intelligence, creativity, targeted investment and lots of hard work, San Antonio is becoming fitter. From 2010-12, adult obesity declined from 35.1% to 28.5%. We are justifiably proud of this accomplishment. But we must acknowledge that there is still a long way to go.
According to a recent Gallup poll, San Antonio is the second heaviest large city in the nation. And the consequences of being overweight are much worse than being made fun of by Charles Barkley during the NBA playoffs.
Health care costs associated with kidney dialysis, blindness, diabetic wound care and amputations, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and other conditions to which obesity is a precursor are huge – not to mention decreased earning power, hampered economic development and damage to our overall quality of life. The true consequences of two-thirds of our population being overweight or obese and 18% being diabetic are beyond calculation.
Rates of obesity in San Antonio and the rest of the U.S. have doubled over the last 30 years, certainly, in part, to spending too much time in front of our flat screen TVs, computers and video games instead of outside in the fresh air or otherwise being physically active. Locally, we have responded with innovations like Síclovía, Fitness in the Park, better bike lanes, more walkable neighborhoods and stairways that are accessible, clean, safe and attractive. These innovations have raised our spirits and are doing much good.
But physical exercise, although very important, is not sufficient to resolve our weight problem. The preponderance of scientific evidence points to unhealthy diet – especially added sugar – as the key driver of the obesity epidemic. It is well-known that, as our weight has doubled in the United States, so has our national consumption of sugar. Americans now consume on average almost 80 pounds of added sugar per person per year. In a very real sense, too much sugar is killing us.
Where is all this sugar coming from, and why are we eating it? Of the 600,000 products available in U.S. grocery stores, 80% have added sugar. Breads, cereals, sauces, salad dressings, practically everything we see on the shelves, even low-calorie foods, have added sugar. Not only are there entire aisles of soft drinks and desserts, they are packed into the checkout stations to make us run a final gauntlet of sweetened temptations. Of all the sugar we consciously or unconsciously consume, fully one half comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, mostly soda. Shockingly, 64% of San Antonians drink soda every day.
The solution to our unhealthy diet is complex and can only be achieved gradually and over time. I believe changes in government subsidies to the sugar industry are essential and that the aggressive promotion of unhealthy food and drink to children must stop.
Ultimately, we need to recapture the tradition of family meals, made from fresh and lightly processed foods, cooked and enjoyed at home at least several times per week. Too many people have lost basic cooking skills and interest in the traditional family meal. They opt instead for fast, cheap and easy. For some, especially working parents and stressed households, the traditional family meal may be an impossible goal. For this reason, improving nutrition at schools, workplaces and restaurants also is essential.
On an individual level, the logical first step toward a healthier diet is to cut back on sugary beverages. Even Coca-cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper/Snapple acknowledge this and have announced, as part of the Clinton Global initiative, that they will work toward reducing soda calories consumed in the U.S. by 20% by 2025. Sugary beverages as an occasional treat are fine, but we know that drinking soda every day is highly associated with obesity.
The logical first step for the 64% of San Antonians who do drink soda every day is to find a healthy alternative. Metro Health suggests as alternatives the “Loteria de Aguas.” Try these delicious and healthy drinks that can be made at home for pennies. Choose some favorites and always keep a full pitcher in the fridge. Over the last few years, 80,000 San Antonians have said “No Thank You!” to the daily soda habit and our local obesity rates have gone down proportionately. It is to everyone’s benefit that this hopeful trend continues.
Related Stories:
Síclovía’s More Than Symbolic Impact on City’s Health and Fitness
Yoga for a Balanced Lifestyle and Blood Sugar
Month One: Pursuing Health and Balance
Kudos to Dr. Thomas Schlenker for believing we can work together to address San antonio’s obesity crisis. He needs allies, and resources.
What is the “Loteria de Aguas” Dr. Schlenker mentioned? Is this just an agua fresca? Thank you.
Dr. Schlenker is an incredible asset to San Antonio and his efforts, laudable, but I’m baffled as to why Metro Health’s Loteria de Aguas would include la limonada (lemonade) and jugo de manzana (apple juice) as alternatives to soda as both contain just as much sugar. All sugar-sweetened beverages should be targeted, including juice, which kids also consume in excess. How about having the agua con limon and una manzana instead?
After hearing you speak yesterday @ Síclovía, I now have a new hero :-). The drop in soda consumption and its positive effect on weight loss was so interesting, and I wanted to know more, more, more. This is also ultra-current thinking: See New York Times’ article yesterday reporting on the same Clinton Global Initiative. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/business/big-soda-companies-agree-on-effort-to-cut-americans-drink-calories.html?_r=0
Last year I cut out diet soda completely (having cut out other soda before) and found that I instantly lost about 10 lbs., I suspect because I was finally hydrating. A year later, I can’t say I miss that at all — and have no reason to ever go back to it. I now know also what being properly hydrated feels like, perhaps for the first time in my life, and it’s hugely significant. No reason to mess with success! Glad to see there are so many possibilities on this front for permanent health improvement.
As this article notes, food, not beverages, is the leading source of added sugars in the American diet. With respect to combating obesity, physical activity and overall caloric balance is key. The beverage industry is doing its part on this front, as acknowledged here, via our voluntary effort that aims to reduce calorie intake from beverages. This is the single-largest initiative by an industry to help enhance health in America, and we look forward to leveraging our marketing, innovation and distribution expertise to help bring meaningful change. – American Beverage Association
Where can I buy the lotteries you have in your page of Aguascalientes frescas. Thank you.