Region Tops In N.Y. For Obesity

“The numbers don’t look good. Two of three adults in the Finger Lakes region are either overweight or obese, according to a report released last week by Excellus BlueCross Blue-Shield. What’s more, the region has the highest rate of obesity statewide, according to the report based on 2007 data from the state Department of Health. For purposes of the study, the Finger Lakes region includes Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Livingston, Yates and Seneca counties. Overweight and obesity levels were defined using Body Mass Index (BMI), a generally accepted method for classifying a person’s weight. ‘The benefits of a healthy diet and active lifestyle are known to everyone,’ stated Dr. Robert Holzhauer, Excellus’ chief medical officer. ‘Yet when it comes to the number of adults who are overweight or obese, we’ve gone from bad to worse.’ People with weight problems are more likely to develop a host of ailments, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Excess annual medical costs due to obesity are at $362 million, according to the report.”

http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x801093593/Region-tops-in-N-Y-for-obesity