Our opinion: Obesity is complex issue and one we should address with holistic approach

A public health threat affects more than one in three Missouri adults and nearly the same percentage of children in the state. It targets children in rural areas at a 25% higher rate. It costs the nation about $180 billion each year in medical care and lost productivity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

And it’s a problem that we too often dismiss as a character flaw, rather than the complex issue it is.

Obesity.

Recent reporting by the Southeast Missourian’s Bob Miller dove into the psychology of obesity. He noted that studies have shown a correlation between depression and obesity and the distance between the mind and mouth is small.

We know the scene — a woman going through a break-up plops down on her couch with a bucket of ice cream or a guy home alone scarfs down the whole delivery pizza. Those aren’t just stereotypical images from TV and the movies. More than Mom’s Thanksgiving spread, food can be a mental comfort, an emotional crutch in difficult times.

Then there is the “food noise” bombarding all of us. There’s a current ad campaign for a food delivery service based on this idea, that we constantly receive — consciously and subconsciously — invitations to consume. Know that these messages coming at us from all directions aren’t trying to get us to eat fruits and vegetables.

It’s also true that eating healthy is often more expensive than the alternative. A fast-food meal (laden with high-fat and high-sugar calories) costs less than one of fresh vegetables and lean protein. Plus, it’s much easier to open a can of salty condensed soup than it is to gather the ingredients and make it from scratch.

That’s a lot to overcome.

In this country, we have a history of decisively acting when we recognize a health threat. Asbestos can cause cancer — restrict asbestos. People can tamper with a Tylenol bottle — package it differently. E-coli can kill — wash and store food according to protocols.

Obesity, though, has long been seen not as a health threat but as a personal failing. Fat people are lazy or they eat too much or they always choose a cheeseburger over a salad.

OK, there is some truth to those things in some cases, but the causes of obesity — and the potential ways to address it — go much deeper than willpower.

If we are going to seriously try to reduce obesity in our society, we must approach it with a more wholesome perspective.

We should do what we can to make more healthy foods available to all people. This will include working to erase food deserts where there aren’t healthy options. It also means ensuring meals within our schools are better for our young people so they can get started on a lifetime of better choices.

We should also encourage physical health care providers to work with mental health care professionals to help obese people consider the psychological possibilities of their eating habits.

Finally, we can always do more to educate adults and children about healthy eating and physical activities. We can make programs that promote active lifestyles more available and reduce barriers to access.

Yes, we can lower obesity levels one super-size fries order at a time, but let’s also target one bout of depression-fueled overeating, an inactive weekend and each trip to the grocery store.