![]() And for those conditions, even a modest increase in weight can make a huge difference in their ability to control their diabetes, control their hypertension and control their elevated cholesterol." "However, because of the age of the population, we have many people with the combination of hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and diabetes. "Obesity is not as big an issue as I thought it would be," Boettner says. Physician assistant Debbie Boettner arrived in Fossil from Austin, Texas, 18 months ago and shared some of her observations. He concludes that "rural residents generally fare worse than their urban counterparts in regards to obesity, which is opposite to the situation that existed prior to 1980." Blankenau recently published a summary of rural obesity studies for the Center for Rural Affairs. Joe Blankenau of Wayne State College in Nebraska. "There is plenty of anecdotal and statistical evidence to show that rural people were once better off in terms of physical activity, nutrition and weight," writes Dr. That tendency increases significantly in rural counties in Southern states. An article in the local paper had townspeople calling to join the weight-loss effort, and it mushroomed from there.Ī series of studies indicate that rural people have a slightly greater tendency toward obesity. So she and Bianco started an intra-office competition. ![]() "We were gaining weight, and we were sick of it," Odom adds. ![]() "And we would go out to lunch and have hamburgers and french fries and talk about how we shouldn't be eating this and go, 'Oh, this is so good,' " Bianco recalls. The contest originated at the Asher Community Health Center, the town's clinic, where receptionist Anne Odom and outreach coordinator Keri Bianco couldn't stop talking about their weight. And so far, they've collectively lost more than 600 pounds. That's close to 20 percent of Fossil's population of 450. The big losers are considered big winners as they compete in a 12-week contest to lose weight.Įighty people are involved. But there's no shame attached to the distinction. The lime-green cardboard sheet names the remote central Oregon town's biggest losers. Every Tuesday morning, a new sign goes up in the storefront window of The Mercantile, the only grocery in Fossil, Ore.
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