Governor Rick Snyder says it is critical to Michigan’s economy and its quality of life that the state reduce the number of people who are obese or overweight.
Almost a third of Michigan’s children and adults are considered obese. Two thirds are either obese or overweight.
The governor says obesity is a factor in diabetes and other chronic conditions that add $3 billion to the total costs of medical care in Michigan.
“This is a problem that is not only a chronic condition, but it’s a chronic problem in the sense that we’ve dealing with this problem for how many years? It’s been decades. And what has the trendline been? It’s only been negative.”
The governor was addressing a summit of healthcare experts convened to develop a strategy to combat obesity. The governor says the most important part of the strategy will be to convince people to make healthier lifestyle choices.
The governor says his anti-obesity campaign is not government meddling in personal choices, but helping people improve their quality of life.
