The Monitor - A Healthier Texas via A&M South Texas Project to Curb Obesity

Op-Ed

By Greg Abbott

What will the Texas of tomorrow look like for a child born in McAllen today?

While Texas leads the nation in jobs, energy and exports, the health of our economy and the health of our children are at risk.

Two out of three adults in Texas are considered overweight or clinically obese. The resulting higher risks of diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related health problems increase healthcare costs for many families and employers in South Texas and throughout the state.

If trends continue, projections show this obesity epidemic will cost Texas employers more than $30 billion annually in increased health care, disability, sick leave and lost productivity costs by 2036 -- the year a child born today will graduate from college. And an unhealthy workforce will discourage businesses from expanding here in the future.
But beyond the economic impact to the state, the most damaging cost is to our childrens' health. They follow our example and obesity among children is a nationwide public health crisis.

In Texas, 20.4 percent of children ages 10 to 17 are obese, compared to 16.4 percent of children in the United States. And studies show that obese children are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults.

That is not the legacy we want to leave for the Texas of tomorrow.

Obesity prevention and wellness efforts at the state level -- coordinated by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas Education Agency -- focus on expanding access to information and tools that promote better health, nutrition and physical activity through workplace, community and school-focused programs. The Texas Legislature also provides funding for community health resources, such as the Regional Academic Health Center, a campus of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Harlingen.

I am also encouraged by the prospects of Texas A&M University System's newly announced "Healthy Texas Initiative" and their focus on the vital South Texas region. The Healthy Texas Initiative intends to bring together Texas A&M experts on medicine, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical science, public health and agriculture to encourage healthy living and improved health outcomes. The pilot program, Healthy South Texas 2025, has a goal of reducing diabetes, asthma and other chronic diseases by 25 percent by 2025 in 11 South Texas counties. Medicaid managed care organizations will also play a crucial role in cooperation with Texas A&M.

This initiative holds the potential to help empower families, communities and healthcare providers in the battle against obesity.

The future of South Texas is critical to the future of the state. McAllen, Brownsville and Harlingen combined rank as one of the most rapidly growing regions in the United States.
As we design the blueprint for the future of Texas, we must think long-term and explore different approaches to reduce obesity-related healthcare risks that threaten this region and this state.

A healthier Texas of tomorrow is the legacy we will leave for the generations to come.

I welcome more ideas on public health policy changes at the state level and programs at the community, employer and school level. Please join the Healthy Texans conversation at http://townhall254.gregabbott.com/. I'd like to hear from you.

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