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More than one in five Texas children aged 10 to 17 are obese, and obesity puts millions of Texans at risk for chronic disease. And in response to what has been perceived as the state’s “obesity epidemic,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs recently announced the launch of ReshapingTexas, a new online resource that examines the economic impacts of obesity and identifies areas in the state where children are at risk.
The online portal contains an interactive mapping function that uses “FITNESSGRAM” data and body mass index (BMI) results, collected by school districts and reported to the Texas Education Agency, to visualize where in Texas students are most at risk. The site also spotlights costs associated with obesity, obesity related news, medical research and initiatives across the state aimed at fighting obesity.
“Our goal is to provide a collaborative, interactive clearinghouse of news, data, research and success stories involving Texas’ fight to treat and prevent obesity,” Combs said. “ReshapingTexas is part of our ongoing effort to give Texans the tools and information they need on the frontlines of this issue. We need people across the state to help tackle obesity head-on, in order to avoid future health and economic pitfalls.”
Reshaping Texas encourages users to suggest articles and success stories that may be beneficial to others, and also to get involved. The site will continue to expand as public participation grows and content and tools are added.
The comptroller’s 2011 report “Gaining Costs, Losing Time” found obesity and related health expenses could cost Texas businesses $32.5 billion annually by 2030 if current trends continue. Last April, Combs appeared in the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, which outlined the social and economic costs of obesity throughout the nation.
This effort, www.ReshapingTexas.org, is the result of legislation in 2011, which instructed the comptroller’s office to build a web portal to collect research and information on the economic effects of obesity and areas in which children are at risk.
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Comptroller launches 'ReshapingTexas'
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