We’re fat.

America is fat, Colorado is fat.

There’s no getting around it. Well, maybe we can get around it but it takes longer than it should.

Yes, fat jokes are unkind. Yet we certainly need something to raise awareness that being obese is not OK — not because everyone needs to look sexy, but because everyone should be concerned about their health.

A federal report last week was celebrated by some Coloradans because our state came in first with the lowest obesity rate in America. This is the sort of thing that can be trumpeted by chambers of commerce and we can feel smug that we are not nearly as fat as Mississippi.

Really, though, the fact that one in five Coloradans is obese is nothing to celebrate, given the host of health problems linked with obesity — heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, gallstones or bone and joint problems.

“That’s really a good point to shed light on,” said Kat Ciamaichelo, a registered dietician for Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs. She pointed out that in the latest state-by-state obesity rankings released by the Centers for Disease Control, the obesity rate rose in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. from 2010 to 2011.

As usual, the obesity list reflected regional differences. Eight of the 10 worst states are in the South, where “traditional dishes are high in fat,” Ciamaichelo said.

It’s also typical that western states have lower obesity rates. The western state with the worst obesity rate for 2011 was Alaska, where 29.9 percent of the residents are obese.

“When you look outside in the West you see mountains,” Ciamaichelo said. “The culture of the West is we are out there hiking.”

Across the country obesity rates have steadily risen. It is having a serious impact on health care.

Ciamaichelo said there is evidence that genetics play a role in obesity, but only “a very small percentage” of people are DNA-cursed. The majority of us can choose between ruling the cupcakes or being ruled by them.

There is a national debate about health care after someone is sick or hurt but not enough discussion about preventative measures — diet and exercise. These measures don’t begin at a government-regulated vending machine, they begin in the home.

If you never get off of the couch and eat a lot of junk food you’re not doing yourself any favors, but it’s not just about you. If you eat smart and get regular exercise and if you value an active life, it’s more likely that your children will, too.

“Our children are not born obese,” Ciamaichelo noted.

How true. Kids need our help to get fat.

—

Listen to Barry Noreen on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM at 6:35 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Contact him at 719-636-0363 or barry.noreen@gazettedev.gazette.com