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Dr. Antronette Yancey
Associate Professor, UCLA School of Public Health
We didn't suddenly become lazy and stupid. We are surrounded by a smorgasbord of unhealthy, nutrient-poor foods that are so tasty and delectable we can't resist them.
Q: A recent study suggested a direct link between television and obesity. If a kid watches "X" amount of television, there's a great likelihood that they will absolutely be obese. Say it ain't so.
I wish I could. The major connection between television and obesity seems to be the advertising component of it. So, commercial advertising encourages kids to pick up that soda or those chips. And most of the advertising on television that is a part of children's programming is for nutrient-poor, but very high calorie foods.
Q: What do you think about the argument that being overweight is genetic and not something we control?
Well, that's a great question. And I want to tell you that our genes have not changed in the last 30 or 40 years while this epidemic has been progressing. As a matter of fact, in the fifties and early sixties, black people were thinner than white people. So, what's happened and what's changed is the environment. Now, certainly, I can't rule out a gene-environment interaction.
Q: We've been getting heavier and heavier. What's it going to take for us to take this seriously?
We have been so deconditioned that most of us don't realize anymore what it's like to be active. And one of the best linkages right now in terms of what we can do to prevent obesity, is to get kids and adults more physically active. So, one of things we can do is to start to program exercise back into our workplaces and our schools, because workplaces are where you get many adults, and other organizations, like churches and so forth, why don't we have gospel choir rehearsals where there's a 10-minute exercise break?
Dr. Antronette Yancey is an associate professor at UCLA's School of Public Health. She returned to academia after working in public health in Richmond, VA and Los Angeles County. Her research includes adolescent health, particularly childhood obesity, inactivity and diabetes.
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The Public Health Institute is committed to improving quality of life by strengthening public health.
The California Health Interview Survey is a source of information on health and access to health care services.
The U.C.L.A. Center for Health Policy Research is one of the nation's leading health policy research centers.
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Published: September 15, 2005
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