New report shows environmental factors have driven growth in Indiana’s obesity rates and recommends collective action to address the health epidemic.

INDIANAPOLIS (March 13, 2019) — One in three Hoosier adults is obese, and more than two in three are overweight or obese, costing Indiana an estimated $8.5 billion in 2017– most of which is borne by households and the private sector. A report released today by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation underscores these findings, showing that obesity has increased dramatically in Marion County and Indiana, becoming one of the most significant preventable causes of morbidity and mortality.

报告显示，印第安纳州肥胖率从1995年的20%上升到2017年的34%，位居全美第12位。马里恩县成年人肥胖率从2005年的26%和2012年的33%上升到39%。马里恩县的肥胖率在全美大城市中位居第11位，高达69%的马里恩县居民超重或肥胖。

“The rise in obesity is not the result of changes to the gene pool or the failure of individuals. It is a function of changes to the environments that influence healthy behaviors,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. “We must address this pressing health challenge in order to thrive as a city and state.”

肥胖是由不良饮食和缺乏体育锻炼造成的。在印第安纳州，89% 的成年人没有摄入推荐数量的水果，91% 的成年人没有摄入推荐数量的蔬菜。83% 的印第安纳州成年人没有进行足够的体育锻炼，无法达到每周至少 150 分钟中等有氧运动的国家指导标准。

这些饮食和缺乏运动的模式很大程度上是由人们的生活、工作、学习和娱乐环境所决定的。在许多情况下，它们还受到收入、就业、教育、早期童年经历、压力、性别、种族和民族等因素的影响，所有这些因素都可能对个人的经历、观念、行为和健康结果产生深远影响。

Obesity increases the risk of serious health consequences, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, asthma, sleep apnea, liver disease, kidney disease, gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer, including thyroid, stomach, colon and others. These conditions often begin to develop in childhood, and children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults. Individuals who are obese are more likely to face stigmatization, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. And being overweight or obese is one of the most common reasons for young people to be ineligible to serve in the military, with nearly one in four young adults deemed too heavy.

High rates of obesity also translate into high economic costs for Indiana, totaling $8.5 billion in 2017. The private sector bears the majority of these costs, which include $3.9 billion in labor market losses due to increased absenteeism and lower productivity while at work; $2.9 billion in excess healthcare costs; and $1.7 billion in lost economic output resulting from premature mortality.

政策和环境战略在解决肥胖问题方面大有可为。目前已有一些行之有效的方法可供医疗保健提供者、雇主、K-12 学校、社区合作伙伴、政策制定者和倡导者采用，其中包括：

To download the full report and see recommended actions for all sectors, please visit rmff.org/insights/reports/.

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关于理查德·费尔班克斯基金会

理查德·M·费尔班克斯基金会致力于通过解决该市面临的最大挑战和机遇来提升印第安纳波利斯的活力和人民的福祉。该基金会专注于三个问题领域：教育、烟草和阿片类药物成瘾以及生命科学。为了推进其工作，该基金会实施了三管齐下的方法：战略性拨款、基于证据的倡导以及跨部门合作和会议。了解更多信息，请访问 RMFF.org.