South Carolina’s First-Ever Obesity Action Plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “We now have a generation of children that may not outlive their parents,” says Catherine Templeton, Executive Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Obesity, according to DHEC, is one of the most critical health problems facing the state of South Carolina. According to DHEC, it contributes to diseases that kill the most people and makes the most people sick. “We know that because of the obesity rates that people live shorter lives. We know that they are more likely to be disabled. We know that they are more likely to be absent from work. We know that they are less well able to be educated because they miss time from school,” say Dr. Bruce Snyder, past President of the South Carolina Medical Association. That is why DHEC along with 800 businesses, health care agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers and volunteers worked together on scaledown.org. Templeton says the website has tool kits for every walk of life. “One thing that we learned in our meetings across the state was that people don’t know how to make a nutritional meals. They think that nutritious and healthy food costs more than package foods, which isn’t the case. People just don’t know how to by a chicken, boil a chicken, make chicken salad and chicken soup for the week,” say Templeton The main goals of the obesity action plan include: Improve the community environment, improve employee’s health, improve patient care and improve children’s health by promoting healthy eating and physical activity. “If you can get em’ at 2,3,4,5 and 6 it is what they know first and what they stick to,” says Templeton.