Obesity, a leading cause of preventable death in this country, is a national epidemic with rates of overweight and obese individuals increasing every year.  Obesity and overweight increase the risk of illness and premature death, including such conditions as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.  Obesity cost the United States about $118 billion dollars in 2000, not including costs due to lost productivity.  American businesses suffer substantial losses due to obesity as a result of obesity-related absenteeism, poor employee decision making, low employee production and increased health care costs.  Each overweight person increases yearly healthcare costs by $125 and each obese person increases yearly healthcare costs by $395.  Obesity related expenditures account for 9% of total health care spending, an amount that rivals health care costs for smoking.  These costs will increase as the American obesity epidemic spreads.

While the obesity epidemic is a major problem generally in the United States, the problem is acute with ethnic minorities and other underserved populations.  Studies have shown that ethnic minoritiesare three times more likely to be obese than others.  The obesity epidemic is spreading fast in all children, but even faster among minority children.   Many experts believe that significant factors causing this distinction relate to, among other things, the fact that many minorities live in poverty and in areas that are not conducive to living a healthy lifestyle.  Accordingly, it is clear that minorities and other underserved populations can benefit from education about the impact of obesity and culturally competent ways to prevent obesity, as well as an environment designed to facilitate a healthy lifestyle.

To ensure equal opportunity to live long, healthy lives with less risk of obesity, CPMH will work with its partners on three tracks:

1. CPMH will engage in a public awareness campaign designed in a culturally targeted manner to increase  awareness of the obesity epidemic and the impact of preventable, obesity-related conditions on the health of minority and underserved populations. 
2. CPMH will engage in a series of local “Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities” initiatives designed to (a) help educate and encourage minorities and underserved populations to be active and eat nutritiously; and (b) help increase the access of minority and underserved communities to healthy lifestyles, including a focus on bolstering the availability of affordable, healthy products and creating environments that promote healthy eating and physical activity. 
3. As federal, state and local policymakers search for solutions to the obesity epidemic, CPMH will make efforts to ensure that public policy deliberations and resulting public policies include consideration of issues unique to minority and other underserved populations.

CPMH News
September 2005
Article
"FOOD FIGHTER : Daron Watts Wants to Change the Diet of African Americans Accross the Nation"
Southern California SuperLawyers Rising Stars Edition

July 22, 2005
Press Release
CPMH and Members of Congress, Public Health Experts and Community Leaders Convene in Chicago to Discuss Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities at the Congressional TriCaucus Minority Health Summit

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