America’s obesity epidemic spans from coast to coast, but Nevada in particular has been pushing the scale up in recent years. Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show the state’s obesity incidence climbing. In 1992, Nevada’s obesity rate came in at the 10 to 14 percent range. But 1996, the state hit the 15 to 19 percent range and jumped again to the 20 to 24 percent range in 2002.
“Our rate of obesity is not necessarily greater than that of other states, but the rate at which our population is becoming more obese is quite high compared to other states,” nutrition sciences professor Susan Meacham says.
The state’s brisk population growth might skew those numbers a bit, Meacham concedes. But she cites a smorgasbord of local issues that could be making Nevadans heavier.
First is the food factor. Long a destination for bargainhunters, Las Vegas’ hospitality industry initially focused food operations on cheap meals to keep tourists in the casinos: 20-ounce steak dinners for $2.99 and all-you-can-eat buffets for $5. The market has gone upscale — pricey five-star restaurants dot the Strip and buffets targeting residents now cost $10 to $12 or more per person — but the reasonable values that lure tourists also ensnare residents.
“It comes back to the fact that the United States has the most abundant, cheapest, and safest food supply, and Las Vegas is most definitely the mecca of that,” Meacham says. “Eating here has always been very reasonable.”
And then there’s the sizable community of shift workers. Finding healthy dining choices in the wee hours can be hard.
Compounding the problem is a relative shortage of nutrition experts in local schools. Meacham worked for a school district in Virginia that had two high schools; on staff were two registered dietitians and three or four nutrition-student interns. The Clark County School District, with nearly 40 high schools and more added every year, has one registered dietitian, Meacham says.
In addition, the state doesn’t have regulations governing the collection of height and weight data from students. That makes assembling pilot data for procuring nutrition-education grants impossible. Meacham and professor Audrey McCool of the food & beverage management department are helping to write a bill for the Nevada Legislature this year that would mandate the gathering of height and weight measurements in the state’s schools. The duo also helped author school district policies on vending machine fare.
“UNLV researchers are our number one resource on nutrition policy,” says Karen Vogel, a director in the school district’s food-service department. “They’re playing a great part in helping us work together to help our students learn to make wise nutritional decisions.”
