New Bill will Eliminate "Social Hosting" Loophole, A Step to Deter Adults from Allowing or Hosting Underage Parties

This new bill will strengthen current legislation in Wisconsin by deterring underage drinking and social hosting parties. Winnebago County currently has a social hosting ordinance in place, but with this new bill, a large "social hosting" loophole will be eliminated. As Youth Coordinator for re:TH!NK, an organization that works to improve the health of Winnebago County residents, I believe this bill is good news! Peer pressure and misperceived beliefs that 'Everybody is doing it' continue to be factors that contribute to underage drinking among youth. This bill will be a great step forward for Wisconsin and its efforts to prevent adults from hosting underage drinking parties or allowing underage consumption to happen on their watch.

What the changes mean: The bill will prohibit an adult from knowingly permitting or failing to take action to prevent underage consumption of alcohol on property owned by the adult or in an area under the adult's control. This means that an adult can not knowingly allow alcohol to be consumed in an area under their control, for example, renting a hotel room for an underage birthday party where alcohol will be consumed.

You may have heard of the "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" slogan advertised and promoted throughout the state of Wisconsin. Past research has shown that social host legislation is effective in reducing drinking and driving and heavy drinking. Surveys and research have also shown that youth most commonly obtain alcohol from their home (parent or guardian) or from a friend or acquaintance who is 21 or older.

Thank you to Winnebago County Representatives Dick Spanbauer and Gordon Hintz for co-authoring this legislation!

Relaxing guidelines won't help

The current (2005) Dietary Guidelines explicitly discourage anyone from beginning to drink or drinking more frequently on the basis of health considerations. But the tone of this new report creates an impression that alcohol consumption is a viable therapeutic option to be considered and/or discussed with a physician. Read on to see how the culture is wearing down what responsible drinking actually is.

Beverage Companies Market Unhealthy, Sugary Drinks to Children and Teens

New study examines beverage industry marketing practices and nutritional content of nearly 600 products.

Young people are exposed to a substantial amount of marketing for sugary drinks, such as sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks and fruit drinks, according to a new report from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The new report is the most comprehensive assessment of sugary drink nutrition and marketing ever conducted. It analyzed the marketing practices of 14 major companies and the nutritional content of nearly 600 products.

Despite industry pledges to market fewer unhealthy beverages to children, the report finds there is more—not less—advertising for sugary drinks overall. For example, youths’ exposure to TV ads for full-calorie sodas doubled from 2008 to 2010. Moreover, the report indicates that companies view Black and Hispanic youths as a source of future growth for sugary drink sales. In 2010, Black children and teens saw 80 percent to 90 percent more TV ads for sugary drinks compared with White youths. For Hispanic youths, marketing on Spanish-language TV is growing. From 2008 to 2010, Hispanic children saw 49 percent more ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, and teens saw 99 percent more ads.

Read more about the study on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.

re:TH!NK Partners Participate in Fox Cities Marathon Events

re:TH!NK, Winnebago's Healthy Living Partnership, wants to walk the walk, not just talk the talk when it comes to promoting healthy lifestyle choices. That's why re:TH!NK sponsored the "Fox Cities Marathon Challenge" this year hoping to involve our partners in something that shows our community that we're practicing what we preach!

A well deserved "Congrats" and a heart-felt "Thank You" goes out to the nearly 20 re:TH!NK partners that participated in this weekend's Community First Fox Cities Marathon and Festival of Races events. (Check the race results links to see how everyone did.) Each participant representing re:TH!NK wore a very fashionable (and practical) headband with the re:TH!NK logo on the front. Thanks also to Sports Graphics in Menasha for getting us our headbands in time!

re:TH!NK boasted two relay teams (team "re:TH!NK" and team "re:TH!NK Winnebago Alcohol"), four participants in the half marathon, three participants in the 5k, and one in the full marathon. To those who might not know, that lone full marathoner, Fred Umland, recently retired from the Winnebago County Human Services Department. He is part of a group of about 20 that have ran in every Fox Cities Marathon (that 20+ years of marathons)! Way to go Fred!!! We are very inspired by you and hope others are too and look foward to the Marathon Challenge again next year.

A Month of Recovery

September is celebrated as National Recovery Month. Step Industries and Mooring Programs will be honoring recovery month by hosting UNITED IN RECOVERY on September 23^rd at Pathways Church in Appleton. Teen Challenge, a Milwaukee based recovery program for adolescents, will performed a concert. Along with Teen Challenge you will hear inspirational stories from current and past program participants of Step Industries and the Mooring Programs. Information will be available on the different avenues a person and a family can take on the journey to sobriety. There will also be an array of delicious desserts available to enjoy, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. All proceeds from ticket sales and auction items will go directly to Step Industries and Mooring Programs. Join Step Industries, Mooring Programs and new friends at Pathways Church for a night of inspiration and entertainment.

Ticket information is available by calling Step Industries 733-2345 or visiting our website at www.stepindustries.com.

Selling the Drinking Culture

It's that time of year again, the packed aisle, with glue, markers, and boxes of Kleenex flying from shelves to carts. One of the first things that is on the school supply lists are spiral notebooks. Some have kittens, skulls, or trees on them. As I was walking down the aisle of the Oshkosh Target I came across a note book that sparked my interest. The notebook was on a end cap right at eye level it reads, " College is like a fountain of knowledge... and the students are there to drink". Of course I had to buy this notebook to show to the rest of the re:TH!NK staff. We all had similar responces we could not believe that Target was selling this notebook on their shelves. I did a bit of research on the saying and when I Googled it the results that came up used the saying in a drinking postive way. One website called Cracked.com has a atricle called "College Drinking", the first paragraph of the page says this:

College. A time when young men and women say goodbye to moderation and hello to many repeated nights of hugging their dorm room toilets. Why? Because “college is like a fountain of knowledge – and all the students are there to drink.” -Unknown."

As a community it is important that we try and mantaine healthy people who live around us. Oshkosh is home to Univeristy of Wisconsin Oshkosh it seems to be even more important to help our commnitiy healthy.

city of Oshkosh have been called many names assocated with drinking, UW Zero, Sloshkosh, OshVages, among others. Having a University in our city that has a repuation for their high alcohol consumption you would think that it would make sense to not sell the drinking culture further to the college students coming into our city.

Selling the Drinking Culture

City of Menasha Promotes Health and Pedestrian Mobility

We want to offer a big "high five" to the City of Menasha Common Council for approving removal of 13 on-street parking stalls on a six-block section of State 47 to make room for bike lanes! An article in today's News-Record states that "city officials previously approved a recommendation to install 5-foot-wide bike lanes on both sides of 47 from Third Street to Ninth Street as part of an overall plan to improve biking facilities from Valley Road in Appleton to First Street in Neenah through the city and Town of Menasha."

This is awesome news for the residents of the Fox Valley. re:TH!NK wants to promote pedestrian mobility (walking and biking) and by having safe routes for bikers, this will making getting around by bike much easier! Thanks City of Menasha!!!

Have You Heard?

Cold beer chill'n in my console, water bottle full of whisky in my handbag, think we kissed but I forgot, roll'n down the street smoking endo, sipping on gin and juice, but a colt 45 and two ZigZags, baby that's all I need. Is that really all you need to have a good time and be a teenager growing up in the United States? We are not here to "dis" popular music or to say music is a bad thing, we simply want to start a conversation about the lyrics that our youth and adults listen too.  

Most generations have its share of music that is associated with partying, and that is normal. Our question to you is, if our youth and constantly being exposed to music that is focused on drinking and other unhealthy behaviors will it have an effect on them? Some of you may be saying, " I listened to the Grateful Dead and I was a good kid" while others of you may have difference experiences. The more exposure to a product, idea, or way of life the more ok it seems, not only to youth but adults as well.

So, listen to music,jam out, dance in your car on your way to work! We just ask that you put a critical eye and ear to the lyrics of the songs you are listening too.

Calorie Labels on Menus = Decrease in Calorie Consumption

According to a study released in late July, 1 in 6 consumers have altered their food purchases at New York Cities chain restaurants after a city-wide ordianance that went into effect in 2008 required chains to prominently post calorie infomation on their menus.

For the three main restaurant chains studied, customers on average bought 44 fewer calories at McDonald's, 80 fewer calories at Au Bon Pain and 59 fewer calories at KFC.

The change to labeling also lead chains to offer healthier options as the default or add new healthier options to their menus. However the labeling had no effect on the choice kids made at the restaurants studied.

Menu labeling helps consumers make informed decisions about their caloric intake. With at least 20% of American's being obese, posting calorie infomation is one piece of the puzzle in the effort to reduce death and disease related to obesity.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/07/27/calorie-labels-change-some-diners-habits-study-says/#ixzz1UAZNcANc

Rx Drug Abuse

Everyone knows that drugs are bad, but what about the kind you get at the doctors office? In the Threat Assessment for 2009 done by the Lake Winnebago Area Drug Unit prescription drugs were the number two threat in the Fox Cities. Even though it is 2011 the threat has not gone away in fact it has gotten worse. There have been robberies, muggings, overdoses, and murders in our area all over prescription drugs. Recently Science Daily released a study that  believes the use of prescription drugs is a first step on the path toward misuse of heroin and other injected drugs. They also found that almost one out of four young injection drug users first injected a prescription opioid, and most later switched to injecting heroin. If you would like to read the full article click here.

re:TH!NK has been partnering with local law enforcement to put into place permanent drug drop boxes in Winnebago County. There is one located at the Oshkosh Police Department in the hallway which is open 24/7. Neenah Police Department has a new drug drop box that is also open 24/7. If you have old prescriptions drugs that you have not finished or need to get rid of please used one of these boxes and help us keep these dangerous drugs off the street.   

UWGB Dietetics Student Takes on Double Role in WIC Internship

The Winnebago Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) staff did not know exactly who they were hiring as their summer intern when they asked Sarah Heidorf to join the staff. Heidorf, a UW-Green Bay student studying nutritional sciences, was to serve as a marketing liaison for WIC and the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) with a goal of increasing participants’ awareness and utilization of the farmers’ markets in Winnebago County. Her role evolved from that into much more.

“I started surveying our participants and realized very quickly that attendance at farmers markets depended on two critical elements: 1) finding time to get to the market and 2) the willingness of family members to eat their fruits and vegetables,” said Heidorf. To battle the time restrictions, she arranged to have vendors come to the Oshkosh WIC check pick up site. “It’s been a tough growing season, and as a result, our vendor for July had to cancel due to minimal lack of produce to sell. However, we fully intend on being ready on-site for August, September, and October pick-ups in Oshkosh.”

To encourage the youngsters of the family to indulge in their fruits and vegetables, Heidorf visited a number of child day care centers in the county dressed up as “Young Mac Donald”, in overalls and brightly colored clothing and accessories. “In order for kids to try something new, you need a little dose of healthy peer pressure, mixed in with a whole lot of fun. I put them in a familiar environment, and we sing a modified version of ‘Old Mac Donald’ where instead of raising animals on the farm, we grow a rainbow of different fruits and vegetables,” states Heidorf. Young Mac Donald’s farm is an active place as well as she gets the kids moving as they jump up and down throughout the song if they are wearing the colors in the verses. They then participate in a taste testing of various fruits and vegetables. “On average, about two-thirds of the class tries something new, and it is not uncommon to see empty plates at the end of the program,” she boasted proudly.

Heidorf also entertains the school-agers with age appropriate activities. Playing with your food is completely allowed on Young Mac Donald’s farm. You will see children building sheep creatures out of cauliflower, celery, and a black olive. To end the creative session, Heidorf gives each child an apple. Using nothing but their teeth, the children are instructed to create a masterpiece of art in an apple carving contest (see James Flannigan, above, showing off his puppy that he carved into his apple at Davis Child Care Center in Oshkosh). “This is my favorite “sneaky” way to get them to eat their fruits and veggies—the most nutrients are in the skin, and this is the first part that disappears into their bellies!”smiled Heidorf.

WIC provides food and nutrition information to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and children under five years of age healthy and strong. Many working families qualify. FMNP checks must be redeemed by October 31.

For more information on WIC and FMNP Services, please contact the Oshkosh office at (920) 232-3350 or Neenah office at (920) 729-2945.

re:TH!NK the Bean!

Great ideas from the Winnebago County Health Department AHEC CHIP intern Sarah Heidorf:

So there’s one food that always seems to get a bad rap, but is chocked full of nutrients. The bean. I’m not talking the string bean variety, I am speaking of the legume bean. Black beans, great white northern beans, kidney beans, you pick ‘em. I guarantee we don’t eat enough of them. It may have something to do with their rumored physiological side effects; however I am totally going to let them redeem themselves with this almost too-good-to-be-true recipe. So have an open mind and give it a try. My 11-year old can’t tell the difference.

The only two ingredients needed are a dry brownie mix for a 9x13 pan and a 15-ounce can of unseasoned black beans. Rinse the beans well in a colander and then place in blender. Add one-half a can of water, then puree until there are no whole beans visible.

Open the brownie mix, and place in a medium bowl. Disregard any instruction to add oil, egg, or water. These are NOT needed! Add the bean puree to the dry brownie mix. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour brownie batter into pan. Bake per brownie box instructions. If you wish to add a handful of chocolate chips and a dash of vanilla or cinnamon, feel free!

The brownies are thick, moist, and chocolatey! Full of protein and fiber and low on cholesterol and fat!

CUSA Beer servers get training thanks to Winnebago County Sheriffs and re:TH!NK

http://www.wbay.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=5979769&h1=Deputies%20Work%20with%20Country%20USA%20Bartenders&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=91167&LaunchPageAdTag=Community&activePane=info&rnd=16431186


We are thrilled that area bar tenders are appreciative of the the trainings implemented by sheriff deputies at CUSA and other events. The voluteers who sign up to serve beer are typically well meaning young adults who certainly don't mean to increase problems such as thefts, sexual assaults, domestic disputes and injuries. But that is exactly what can happen when underagers get served or those over 21 are "over served".
Do you think trainings at the point of beer purchase make sense? What else is needed to alter our culture of drinking?

Since when aren't good movies, buttery popcorn and friends not enough, now we have to add beer to this experience too?

Friends:

Are you aware of the draft language in the biennial bill as it relates to movie theatres and alcohol? It is important to realize that this language does not impact the existing ability of a municipality to issue an alcohol license to a movie theatre. The issue is whether unaccompanied youth can be in a location where alcohol is sold and served. The proposal creates a specific exception in the law for movie theaters, allowing youth to enter a theater serving alcohol without a parent or guardian present.
This proposal is likely to expand youth access to alcohol and makes it more difficult for parents to raise alcohol-free children. It was adopted without public hearing or open debate during deliberations by the Joint Finance Committee.
As you know Wisconsin’s rate of alcohol use among high school students exceeds the national average. In 2009, Wisconsin had the 11th highest rate of alcohol use among high school students in the nation.[i] Wisconsin has a serious underage drinking problem and increasing youth access to alcohol will exacerbate the problem.
The Legislature is debating the biennial budget, including this language this week. This web site, http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx , is provided by the Legislature to help citizens identify their elected representatives.
[i] Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, 2010. p.50.

Ride Your BIke to Work

This morning I decided to ride my two wheels to work instead of driving.  It is amazing to be up that early getting loads and loads of fresh air.  People were friendly as we wished each other good morning as we passed.  It was good to see lots of other bike commuters on the streets this morning, the culture is slowly beginning to change.  As my wheels bounced down the pavement, all the stresses of the drive to work were removed and filled with the sounds of cardinals up in the trees.  I arrived early for work with a little extra spring in my step.  I feel good all day long knowing that even though I am sitting at a desk, my heart rate was elevated.  If you want to save money on gas, lose some weight and feel good the whole day through, I recommend biking to work at least once a week.

To Crawl or not to crawl that is the question.... Pub Crawl that is

Pub crawls have been going on for years in downtown Oshkosh. May locals know that during the day of pub crawl you want to be as far away from downtown as possible. The streets are filled with hundreds if not thousands of college students along with some other who are brave enough to venture out. I happened to be one of those brave souls. I knew a ton of people on teams and they told me it would be a ton of fun. Since I work for re:TH!NK, know a number of police officers, and teach students how to make responsible life choices, I sat and contemplated whether or not I should go. 10:00pm rolled around and I decided that I needed  to experience the pub crawl first hand.


I walked into the first bar which had a waiting line outside. When I finally got in the door I could barely move and could not believe the amount of empty beer cans and plastic cups thrown everywhere. I found my friends and we headed out to crawl. The next bar was over capacity and once again we had to wait to get inside. While waiting in line I saw a guy pass out on the curb, a guy throw up in the street, and two people peeing on buildings. At 10:30 people were already extremely intoxicated and a number of people incapacitated. This bar was trashed pool tables wrecked, bathrooms covered in toilet paper, vomit on the floor etc.


I could not believe that people were as drunk as they were.
 During my two hours our I talked to number of bouncers though out the night and the discussion was similar each time. They all said that once people put the "Pub Crawl" T-shirts on they have now acquired the right to be completely careless, dangerous, and out of control. Even though I did take part in being out and about on pub crawl night it worried me seeing people behave the way they did.


If we are going to change the climate of the drinking culture to make people appreciate and enjoy alcohol responsibly it seems like thing such as the pub crawl strongly work against us. This is not to say that the pub crawl should not happen, it just needs to be done responsibly.

News worthy:Check out what schools are doing to reduce high risk college drinking.

Even an earlier start for alcohol purchases in WI?

Some misguided legislator introduced a bill to allow people to buy alcohol at 6:00 AM instead of the 8am official start time. This provision is up for hearing in the Assembly Homeland Security and State Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/121026684.html

Legacy vs. Old school drunkeness

Dude: I'm three times your age, twice your weight and half your speed. I call myself middle-aged, and you call me "old man." Fair enough. To me, you are a teen, a youth, or even "kid." Whatever.
There's something I want you to know.
The greatest gift we old farts give you is our legacy. You and your friends don't use that word a lot, "legacy," but it basically refers to what we pass on to the next generation.
We have passed on some rather remarkable things to you here in Wisconsin: appreciation for the outdoors, a strong work ethic, home-team pride …
Drunkenness.
We, your parents and grandparents, are among the very worst in the nation when it comes to binge drinking, driving drunk, per capita beer consumption and percentage of adults who drink.
We are the shame of the states when it comes to drinking. And we want you to wallow in that barley mire with us. Sort of a family bonding thing.
We insure ourselves against change by sporting some of the weakest alcohol laws in the country. In fact, we are the only state where most drunk driving cases aren't even misdemeanors.
"Drive drunk — go to jail?"
Not.
We make it legal for you to drink with us so we can teach you how it's done. We put virtually no tax on beer — roughly half a penny per can — even though the related property damage and health care impact costs more than Beyonce's bling.
We just make everyone shares that cost, even the ones who (rolling my eyes and using my "duh" voice) don't drink. As a matter of fact, we haven't raised our beer tax since 1969.
Think I'm exaggerating? Google "State of Drinking" or "Wasted in Wisconsin." I'm barely scraping the surface.
We make sure you always see alcohol at weddings, sporting events, get-togethers with friends, community celebrations and even church picnics.
Go find that picture of your parents at the Christmas party or the bowling team's awards night. See the big smiles in the group shot? See what they're holding in their hands?
We have carefully and consistently taught you this: You must drink alcohol. To not drink in this state is to be a nun at a Lady Gaga concert.
When I lived out of state, I saw bumper stickers that read, "It's OK to not drink." How would that message go over in Wisconsin? Might not get your taillights busted out, but it wouldn't win you many friends. Hide it in the drawer with that Brett Favre sticker.
Truthfully, about a third of Wisconsin adults don't drink alcohol. Bizarre. We just try to ignore them in hopes they'll go away, kind of like zits.
As caring parents, we strive to give you a better life than we had — except when it comes to alcohol use. We are determined to see you repeat our mistakes — to stagger in our footsteps, so to speak.
But we must be slipping. According to a 2010 Wisconsin Department of Health Services report, you're drinking less than teens were a couple years ago.
What's up with that? Don't you want to grow up to be just like Mommy and Daddy?
Your potential is immense. You have dreams, you have vitality, you have promise. Dude, what would you have if you didn't drink like us?
Twice our brains and half our troubles.

This blog brought to you by Kevin Wilkinson is the Neenah police chief. He can be reached at pcletters@postcrescent. com

Our Drug/Alcohol Environment Isn't As Fun as a Jeep Wave

You know how when you get a new car, you start seeing the same cars everywhere. I got a Jeep in fall and not only does it seem like everyone else did too, but they are waving at me! Ok then. I guess I became keenly aware of what I have and who else has it in my surroundings.

I find this prevention job to be a similar experience. Embarking on a new job, it sounded like a rewarding position...who wouldn't want to help others refrain from drugs and substance abuse? But truth be told, I possessed a limited awareness of the environment around me. Now being thrust into part of the re:TH!NK machine that sets out to alter this substance laden environment, I see it at every turn. And it doesn't Jeep wave!The feelings are way different.

Last week I saw "Lazy Cakes" at Walgreens as I checked out with my 6th grader. This is a snack marketed as mere pot brownies that have melatonin as their key ingredient saying it causes excessive use of the word DUUUUUUDE. WHAT!!!

I drive by the huge "KeyStone" billboard near Mortons daily. That gains huge visibility as kids walk to Oshksoh West HS and aims to make beer consumption cool and funny for youth. Who in the world allowed that location in our community!!

Me and my son, lil' 7 year athlete that he is, stroll through convenience stores with end caps that boast alcoholic beverages that are intended to GO WITH sports. Are you kidding me, these kids are suppose to be proud of their athletic codes and sports status in HS!!

How do parents counteract? What have you tried? Is anyone else mad? Really, I am interested in hearing.

Join us by checking out www.rethinkwinnebago.org for re:TH!NK Committee meetings planning environmental action plans that address change.

re:TH!NK's New Youth

Oshkosh North Leadership Class doing Above the Influence



F.A.C.T. Training with Alex Hip the Field Expert



                              Maplewood Middle Schools F.A.C.T. group with their Call out Candies

Time has come for re:TH!NK to get some new energetic and motivated youth involved in the coalitions mission! Since I (Laura Wilner) have come on board there has be a spike in youth engagement and involvement. There are re:TH!NK groups across the county! Maplewood Middle School, YouthGo in Menasha, The Boys and Girls Club in Oshkosh, I am working with Oshkosh North and West for a large safe prom campaign, along with Winneconne High School and Omro! I also started  a  F.A.C.T. ( Fighting Against Cooperate Tobacco) group at Oshkosh North which involves anywhere from 20-40 kids each meeting. We are currently trying to start a F.A.C.T. group at Oshkosh West along with a re:TH!NK group as well!   The youth in Winnebago County have started to make a difference in our community! They have been educating their peers and will soon be reaching out to the rest of the community!

F.A.C.T. at Maplewood with their Call Out Candies

re:TH!NK on TV?

New and exciting news everyone! We have started a TV show on CATV 2. The show will begin airing this week and we invite all of you to watch this informative and interesting . The first show focused on how re:TH!NK works and where re:TH!NK can be seen in the community!

Get involved and take 30 minutes this Friday from 12:00-12:300 pm to watch the show with us at the new Health Department at 112 Otter Ave Oshkosh, WI 54903. Bring your lunch, enjoy our wonderful break room, and help improve next months show by giving your feedback! Hope to see you there

The show times on CATV2 are 

Monday at      8:00 pm 
Tuesday at     9:30 pm 
Friday at         5:30 pm
Saturday at    2:00 pm   

Americans living shorter lives because of smoking and obesity report says

Report: U.S. life expectancy lagging because of smoking: Obesity also cited as contributing factor
by Charlotte Tucker

Life expectancies in the United States lag behind some other high-income countries less because of things Americans are doing now than because of behaviors they have engaged in the past.
Specifically, U.S life expectancies are lagging because of smoking. According to a report released by the National Research Council in January, heavy smoking in the past five decades is shortening American life spans today...

...Over the past 25 years, life expectancy at age 50 in the United States has been increasing, but at a much slower rate than in some other high-income countries. According to National Center for Health Statistics 2007 data, the average life expectancy at birth today is 75.3 years for men and 80.4 years for women. To contrast, in Japan men live to an average age of 79.2 years and women to 86 years, as of 2006.

A group of seniors dances at a wellness center in Washington, D.C., in July 2010. While the average life expectancy for Americans is 77.9 years, the nation lags behind some other high-income countries because of factors such as past smoking...

... If U.S. obesity trends continue, they may offset life expectancy gains that are predicted to occur in coming decades, a report found.

The relationship between obesity levels and obesity risks "bears watching as an important factor in future longevity trends in the United States," the authors wrote.

Read the full article:
http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/41/2/1.2.full

View the report:
"Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries," is available at www.nap.edu.