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Health report: Adams County battles obesity, depressive disorders

Evening Sun, The (Hanover, PA) - 7/11/2015

July 11--Consistently feeling "down in the dumps" is a bigger issue in Adams County than in most Pennsylvania municipalities, according to a June health report.

The report looked at everything from eating and exercise habits to how binge drinking and environmental factors affect depression, with issues of mental health and obesity paving the discussion.

The study was sponsored by the Healthy Adams County and Health York County Coalition and conducted by officials at Franklin and Marshall College,

Here are the four things you need to know about the status of Adams County residents.

Adams County is more depressed than most in Pa.

In Adams County, 23 percent of residents, versus 18 statewide, suffer from a depressive disorder, such as bipolar depression or seasonal affective disorder.

In the United States, depressive disorders are the top cause of noncommunicable death or disability.

Identifying specific disorders that are affecting residents is good, but it isn't preventative enough, according to the report. There has to be a progressive manner in identifying causes.

Poverty status, race, health literacy, economic hardships and social support all factor into depressive disorders, according to the report. If these things improve, so do the chances of combatting depressive disorders, the report states.

Adams County joins the obesity problem

Thirty-two percent of Adams County residents are obese and more than 60 percent are overweight.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention determines what is considered a "healthy" weight through body mass index, which measures body fat. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 falls within the overweight range, while any BMI over 30 falls within the obese range.

More than one-third of adults across the country are obese, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Factors like diabetes and asthma, which are statistically more prevalent in Adams County than other municipalities according to the report, more than double the risk of obesity.

Go green to combat obesity

Two things can significantly decrease the risk of obesity: eating vegetables and being active.

However, only four percent of residents eat at least three vegetables a day and exercise for 30 minutes at least five days a week.

Location, location, location

Regional characteristics -- poverty, educational attainment, occupied housing units, employment and race and ethnicity -- can contribute to health-related issues.

Municipalities in Adams County fall in the middle of the spectrum. There are social and economical characteristics in the area that add to the risk of poor health, but it could be worse.

To determine areas of social detriment, a map of Adams County was broken down into about 60 blocks and graded on an A-through-F scale. Adams had no areas that scored extremely high or low; most were Bs and Cs.

There was one area in Gettysburg Borough that scored a D.

Comparatively, York County had 21 of its 322 blocks, including three in the Hanover area, score a D. Twenty six areas in York County scored an F.

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(c)2015 The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pa.)

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