Jackson Free Press

A day after Gov. Haley Barbour announced that he would not make a bid for U.S. president in 2012, he used his veto power to kill a bill to develop a strategic plan to combat obesity in Mississippi. Barbour complained that the bill, which did not require any state funds, would duplicate existing programs and "add to the fat of state government."

Many health advocates, however, claim that Barbour's veto is shortsighted, in a state with the highest obesity rates in the country. Forty percent of children and 32.5 percent of adults are obese or overweight in Mississippi.

The governor's April 26 statement on why he vetoed the House Bill 924 is almost verbatim to an a April 25 letter Mississippi Center for Public Policy Analyst George Whitten wrote to The Clarion-Ledger. MCPP is a conservative public-policy nonprofit that releases legislative summaries and reports promoting smaller government and tracks votes. It also opposes federal health-care reform.

Both men claim that the state is already doing enough to combat obesity. In 2001, the legislature set up a statewide council for obesity through 2006. The Legislature passed a mandate in 2007 requiring all school districts to establish health and physical education council. In 2002 the Legislature passed a law requiring the Mississippi Department of Education to hire a physical activity coordinator to ensure that students received 150 minutes of physical education per week.

"The governor should veto (the bill) to keep obese government from growing even more bloated," Whitten wrote.

In 2001, then Gov. Ronnie Musgrove signed a bill that created the Mississippi Council on Obesity Prevention and Management, which required the state to establish a council of state department heads, medical professionals, and restaurant and food-manufacture representatives to study obesity data and make recommendations for funding, school curriculum, public-awareness campaigns, and coordinate efforts with the federal government.

The bill required the council to release one report with their findings in 2004 and to dissolve in 2006.

Whitten told the Jackson Free Press this week that the MPEC did not meet with the governor on the issue, but he did write a memo that was distributed to local media outlets and the governor's office.

MCPP President Forest Thigpen said that the even though the bill does not require state funds, it requires agencies to provide data. It also takes time away from other duties that agency heads could be focusing on, he said.

Sandra Shelson, executive director of the health-education nonprofit Partnership for Healthy Mississippi, said the Mississippi Council on Obesity Prevention and Management was a step in the right direction, but that another council is needed to streamline and continue efforts such as state, federal and nonprofit programs to fight obesity. She said the state's lack of progress in obesity prevention over the past several years is an indicator that additional efforts are vital.

"There is no one arm that is coordinating these efforts," Shelson said. "That means there can be gaps in service providers; that means there can be duplication of efforts; and that means there can be a duplication of funding."

Shelson said the former council served primarily as a task force, analyzing data and making recommendations. House Bill 924, the bill Barbour vetoed, would have required the council to implement a statewide policy on physical education, increase compliance with nutrition standards, and develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat obesity. The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House of Representatives would appoint a 34-member panel.

"The bill had no money associated with it. It wasn't going to cost taxpayers anything," Shelson said, adding that the state currently spends millions per year treating obesity-related illnesses.

The Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools ensures students get 150 minutes of physical education per week. The Office of Healthy Schools also coordinates health services with the state's 152 school districts. In 2007, the Legislature passed the Mississippi Healthy Students Act to establish physical education and nutrition requirements in schools. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control recognized Mississippi as a top state in obesity prevention.

Shelson, whose organization also focus on tobacco prevention, said the Legislature formed a similar council to take on that issue.

She said tobacco prevention efforts were successful because they were coordinated.

Clarification:The John C. Stennis Institute of Government reports that health care cost related to obesity cost the state of Mississippi $925 million in 2008 and predicts that these costs will rise to $3.87 billion in 2018.

Previous Comments

ID

163355

Comment

I guess our governor does no see obesity as a serious problem in this state and since he could be the poster picture for what far too many Mississippians are dealing with, obesity, this has become a bill for VETO. The data does not support any evidence of a decline in the number of obese children or adults; therefore, adding one more arm to address the issue could not possibly hurt. This bill will not cost tax payers any additional revenue. Since this is not a financial issue, one could only wonder if the governor's dicision has political overtones.? "Let's go Walking Mississippi" should add this to the slogan "Let's go Talking" about why this governor vetoed a bill that has the potential of reducing this serious problem. Obesity adds to the probability of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, kidney problems and the list gets longer to include DEATH. These medical issues weigh heavily on the State's economy.

Author

justjess

Date

2011-05-04T11:35:40-06:00

ID

163357

Comment

I tell you what, if I didn't have the government telling me what to eat, when to eat it, how to eat it, and what, if any, kind of exercise to do, I'd be lost. Now that the Gov. has vetoed this bill, I imagine my BMI will quadruple.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2011-05-04T12:30:51-06:00

ID

163361

Comment

"This bill will not cost tax payers ANY ADDITIONAL revenue:" I stand by my point. RobbierR, I am waiting to read just ONE blog from you that does not reflect an extreme negative view aimed at people who are in need of certain interventions. If you defer to my first blog, even the governor could use strategies from the very bill he vetoed.

Author

justjess

Date

2011-05-04T19:05:15-06:00

ID

163367

Comment

Wouldn't it be great to have a Governor who actually Liked Mississippi - one who Loved Mississippi would be a bonus. We've spent 8 years with someone who apparently hates Mississippi - cutting education, cutting woman-killers free, cutting our standings down to the bottom of (just about) everything. Wouldn't it be nice to Change Direction and start moving Mississippi Up?

Author

BobbyKearan

Date

2011-05-05T10:03:30-06:00