KJZZ Here and Now Weblog

Here and Now - Obesity in Arizona

I once had an interesting conversation with a shop owner in a Provincial town in the Southwest of France. Her shop catered to tourists and she said she could always recognize an American. Not by how bad they dressed, their shoes, or even stupid hats, but by their size. I remember how she puffed out her cheeks and held her arms out to indicate someone's wide girth. And then I began looking at the people coming through the door. And sure enough, they were not thin by any means.

Then a new study came out in July that confirmed we are only getting fatter. Arizona had the 33rd highest rate of adult obesity in the nation. One in four adults in the Grand Canyon state are, well, grand in size. Our kids are in worse shape. The report by the Trust for America's Health found three of out every 10 kids age 10 to 17 were overweight.

Okay, so we eat too much junk food and don't exercise enough. What's the big deal? I like my Dunkin Doughnuts, thank you, and fresh fruit and veggies are more expensive and don't always last as long.

Well, the head of the University of Arizona's Cancer Center told me that despite all the breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment that cancer rates will double over the next 20 years. Why? Obesity. It will also increase coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

Great, if we don't die, we're all going to need scooters because we can't walk or risk a heart attack and we'll have to carry one of those blood sugar testing devices.

Or, we can adjust our diets, and god forbid, exercise. Imagine eating food that's good for you and actually getting off the couch once in a while.

That being said, here's who we have on Wednesday's show:
Beth Jacobs, PhD, assistant professor in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division at the University of Arizona College of Medicine; Cyndi Thomson, Ph.D., R.D., associate professor in Nutritional Sciences with joint appointments in medicine and public health at the U of A College of
Medicine; and Mayo Clinic's Dr. Lori Roust, an edocrinologogist who specializes in diabetes, obesity issues, nutrition, and gastric bypass.

Who knows, perhaps one day I can return to that shop in the Provence and not be recognized as an American because of the size of my girth.

Your questions and comments are welcome below.

Here and Now: Health Care Reform, Wildifire Season, Cubs Spring Training

Here and Now: Budget Stalemate, Cancer Treatment

President Obama will meet with Hispanic leaders today to discuss what should be contained in an immigration reform proposal. KJZZ's Here and Now checks in with Dena Bunis, Washington bureau chief for the Orange County Register, to find out the latest on what's going on.

ASU law professor Paul Bender will discuss the legal ramifications from Tuesday's Supreme Court decision in the tussle between the Governor and legislative leaders over the budget. George Cunningham, former deputy chief of staff for Governor Napolitano, will discuss where the political tug-of-war goes from here.

The Business Journal's Angela Gonzales will talk about the proliferation of cancer treatment facilities in the valley. And cancer researchers Kim Bussey and SuWon Kim will discuss some of the latest innovations in cancer treatment, clinical trials in Arizona, and the cancer research taking place in the valley.

Here and Now - Swine Flu

I'd hate to be a parent who has to take off work or make arrangements for their kid or kids whose school is temporarily shut down because of confirmed cases of swine flu. That's about the biggest affect the outbreak has had on Arizona so far.

On Wednesday's Here and Now Mark Brodie will speak with public health officials and infectious disease specialists about the outbreak of swine flu. Turns out, Arizona is in an excellent position to deal with, with plans already in plan, and similar scenarios already practiced.

We also hope to find out what happens next if, god forbid, this turns into a pandemic and people getting seriously ill and even die (which so far has not happened with almost all U.S. cases.

If you have a question, idea, or suggestion for our guests, feel free to post it below. One tip. The shorter the question, the easier it is to use.

Here and Now - Alzheimer's Disease

There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. At least not yet. But millions of Americans must deal with dementia and Alzheimer's on a daily basis. The valley is home to a number of different research efforts to prevent the disease. Guests include Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Dr. Marwan Sabbagh of the Sun Health Research Institute and author of the new book The Alzheimer's Answer: Reduce Your Risk and Keep Your Brain Healthy.

You can share your experience with Alzheimer's below. Or post a comment or question for our guests. Because of obnoxious spammers, we have to monitor the blog, so you're entry may not be posted right away.

Here and Now - Medical Care

This Wednesday April 4th, KJZZ's Here and Now takes a look at the medical professional crisis. Do we have enough doctors, nurses and other medical staff to meet the growing demand? What impact does the lack of doctors and nurses have on the quality of your medical care and what's being done to meet that need? The shortage of medical professionals on Here and Now this Wednesday from 11:00am to noon on KJZZ. You're invited to join the discussion by calling 480.774.8200 during the show or by posting a comment or question ahead of time by clicking on "comments" link below.

Here and Now - Mental Health Issues

This Wednesday on Here and Now from 11:00 until noon we'll look at Arizona's mental health system. We'll review an auditor general report that found many problems with the current provider of behavioral health services in Maricopa county. We'll also look at what the state is doing to improve service while monitoring costs.

That's this Wednesday on Here and Now. To ask a question during the show, call 480-774-8200 or you can post a question ahead of time by clicking on the "comments" link below.

Health Care

In this hour of Here & Now, we talk with Roger Hughes of the St. Lukes Health Care Initiative about the state of health care in Arizona:

• 20% of the Arizona population is enrolled in AHCCCS, the state's health plan for low-income people.
• 80% of the uninsured hold jobs.
• We'll talk about crowded emergency rooms
• We'll also talk about the state's prescription drug program for seniors, and more...
  

We invite your phone calls at 480-774-8200.

You can also post your comments online using the "comments" link below.

Please note: The web site for St. Luke's Health Initiatives at www.slhi.org is referenced during the show.