In Iowa, about 1.4 million adults are overweight or obese. In the past decade, obesity in Iowa has followed national trends and increased by about 36 percent. With the increase, health risks such as diabetes also have risen.

Over the past three decades, obesity rates have nearly tripled for children ages 2 to 5 (from 5 percent to 14 percent), more than tripled for youth ages 12 to 19 (from 5 percent to 17 percent), and more than quadrupled for children ages 6 to 11 (from 4 percent to 19 percent). Currently, approximately 12 million children and adolescents are obese, and almost 30 percent do not exercise three or more days per week.

What Parents Can Do

• Find an individual reward system that helps motivate each member of your family.
• Experiment with trying one new healthy dish at each meal.
• Limit the time your family spends in front of the television or computer.
• Find ways to make physical activity part of family time.

Once your family adopts new approaches to healthier eating and exercise, you can build on successes and even branch out to include the extended family.

Partner with Friends

How you eat with friends makes a difference. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study says that if you overeat with friends and you all gain weight, you are more likely to accept being overweight.

Partner with your friends to manage weight together. Make plans around a fun activity instead of dinner. If you do share a meal together, try out new, healthy recipes. Remember, before making any major changes to your eating habits or physical activity, check with your doctor, especially if you take regular medications.

Use Online Tools

There isn't a "one size fits all" solution to lose or maintain weight, but online tools and information can help you make healthy choices:

• Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)—This is a good tool to set weight goals based on height and frame.
• Get information on specific needs, such as during pregnancy or at a certain age in life. This site allow you to print posters that encourage children to eat well and exercise.

People who weigh 100 pounds or more than their ideal weight are classified as "morbidly obese"—a medical problem so severe it could be life-threatening. If you or someone you know is ready to do something about severe obesity, the obesity experts at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are known for high-quality bariatric (weight loss) surgery with some of the best clinical outcomes in the country.

UI Obesity Surgery

The UI Obesity Surgery Program offers an alternative treatment for certain seriously overweight patients: laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Gastric banding may be the solution for obese patients who:

• Prefer to avoid the open surgical approach to losing weight
• Would like to avoid a more radical weight loss procedure such as gastric bypass
• May only need to lose 40 to 75 pounds versus larger amounts of weight

"Gastric bypass surgery is still the 'gold standard' for most patients," says Mohammad Jamal, MD. "However, gastric banding offers a good alternative in some cases. It is simpler, with fewer complications and little alteration of the body's anatomy."

Jamal partners with fellow surgeons Isaac Samuel, MD, and Jessica Smith, MD, to perform both types of procedures at UI Hospitals and Clinics. "No matter what approach is taken," Samuel says, "our goal is to help each qualifying patient reach his or her goal of a healthy, enjoyable life."

UI Obesity Surgery Program

Mohammad Jamal, MD

Isaac Samuel, MD

Jessica Smith, MD