Oklahoma Ranks 3rd In Adult Obesity
Oklahoma has the third-highest adult obesity prevalence in the nation, according to the CDC.
Data from 2022 found that Oklahoma is among 22 states with a prevalence above 35%, trailing only Louisiana and West Virginia at 40.1 and 41%, respectively.
Obesity prevalence refers to the proportion of adults with BMIs equal to or greater than 30 based on self-reported weight and height.
John Schumann, a primary care provider at Tulsa’s Oak Street Health, said he’s not surprised by this ranking, and he often sees the impacts of obesity in patients who develop high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
In 2021, about 39% of adult Oklahomans had high blood pressure, and 12.8% reported having diabetes.
Schumann said a new class of medications used for diabetes and weight loss, like Ozempic, are available and can help treat obesity. Long-term side effects are unknown. But he said his first-line treatment for people affected by obesity is counseling and education.
“Even in medical school, we have very limited, poor, I would say, education around nutrition, specifically,” Schumann said. “I think nutrition education as a whole is not readily available, and I think is not up to the task of helping to combat junk food prevalence and the obesity epidemic.”
Karen Hacker, director of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said in a news release there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to combating obesity prevalence.
“We know the key strategies that work include addressing the underlying social determinants of health such as access to healthcare, healthy and affordable food, and safe places for physical activity,” Hacker said in the release.
Women Entrepreneurs Testify At Interim Study
Lawmakers at the State Capitol heard about obstacles for women entrepreneurs in Oklahoma today.
University of Oklahoma lecturer Kristen Caruso said women she teaches don’t want to stick around the state because of the wage gap.
“On average, a woman in the state of Oklahoma makes about 75 cents to every dollar that’s made by their male counterpart,” Caruso said.
“So if I am trying to convince my female students to stay in the state of Oklahoma they're going to look at that statistic and say, ‘Why would I stay where my wage is 25 percent lower than a man doing the same job?’”
Caruso said the gap is worse in Oklahoma than other states.
Nationally, women make an average of about 83% of what men earn.
Oklahoma businesswoman Amy Million told lawmakers women still have a harder time accessing funding, too.
“In the 70’s women couldn’t even go get a loan or a checking account or a credit card in their name,” Million said.
Sen. Mary Boren of Norman requested the interim study.
Changing Weather Patterns Impacts Quail Population
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is looking forward to fall for quail hunting season.
Changing weather patterns have impacts on quail populations.
The department said the shift from three years in a row of La Niña, a warmer and dryer pattern, to El Niño, a cooler and wetter one earlier this year were great for quails.
Quail populations are up 45% from last year.
Wade Free is the assistant director of ODWC and an avid quail hunter.
He said the ground birds need tall grass prairies and plenty of insects to survive and rain is important for growing that habitat.
“You need at least three good springs in a row that will offer good nesting and breeding conditions to really have great numbers,” Free said.
Wade said quail enthusiasts should be excited for quail hunting season this fall compared to last season, but quail populations are still lagging behind where they were historically.
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