Healthy Communities Healthy People Talking Points



Basic talking points

Updated October 2012

Eating better, moving more and living tobacco free lets Oregonians live healthier lives and do the things they love.

Today in Oregon, nutritious food, places to play and exercise, and smokefree air are out of reach for too many people. This is particularly true for minorities, low-income individuals, people with disabilities and other underserved populations.

As a result, chronic diseases like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer are on the rise, especially among underserved populations.

▪ For policy makers: This comes at tremendous cost. Chronic conditions like cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis and diabetes claim 19,000 lives,[i] and account for $16 billion[ii] [iii] in health care costs each year.

We have the power to change the places where we live, learn, work and play to put healthy options within reach—especially where children are concerned.

▪ All Oregonians deserve convenient access to foods and activities that help them live better, regardless of their income, education or ethnicity. Healthy options should be expected, not something we have to search out.

▪ We’ll never entirely eliminate chronic diseases, so we also need options to help people take care of themselves and live better with their disease.

Ask for consumers:

▪ Tell your employer, school, community groups and elected officials that you want access to healthy options.

▪ When healthy options are available, use them to show your support and benefit your health.

Ask for policy makers:

▪ Use smart policy to create communities that provide access to healthy options for all Oregonians, regardless of their income, education or ethnicity.

▪ Consider health implications of all policies.

▪ Ensure that we have a strong public health system.

THE OpPORTUNITY

|Eating better, moving more and living tobacco free lets Oregonians live healthier lives and do the things they love. |

| |Supporting Evidence |

| |Most Oregonians want to be healthy. |

| |Eighty percent want to quit smoking.[iv] |

| |Fifty-six percent of overweight adults and 78 percent of obese adults reported trying to lose weight.[v] |

| |According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, employees in healthy worksites are more physically active,|

| |more aware of how to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma, have better eating habits and use less tobacco. |

THE CHALLENGE

|Today in Oregon, nutritious food, places to play and exercise, and smokefree air are out of reach for too many people. This is |

|particularly true for minorities, low-income individuals, people with disabilities and other underserved populations. |

| |Supporting Evidence |

| |Tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death.[vi] |

| |Tobacco use contributed to 6,965 deaths in 2007—that’s 22.2 percent of all deaths. |

| |Tobacco-related deaths are almost always due to one of three causes: cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory |

| |disease. |

| |Although tobacco use has declined steadily since the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program was created in 1996, 17.5|

| |percent of Oregonians still use tobacco—those rates are higher among African Americans, Native Americans, people living|

| |with lower incomes and LGBTQ communities. |

| | |

| |Obesity is the No. 2 cause of preventable death.[vii] |

| |Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke. |

| |It contributes to 1,400 deaths per year. |

| |Obesity rates have climbed 121 percent since 1990 due to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. More than 1.76 |

| |million people, or 60 percent of the adult population, were overweight or obese in 2009. Nearly 27 percent of |

| |eighth-graders and 24 percent of 11th-graders were overweight or obese in 2009. |

| | |

| |Nutritious food |

| |Just 26 percent of adults and 18 percent of 11th-graders ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a |

| |day.[viii] |

| |Twenty-one percent of eighth-graders drank seven or more soft drinks in the past week. This averages out to a half |

| |gallon a week and more than 2.5 gallons a month.[ix] |

| |The highest rates of obesity and diabetes are among people who live in lower-income communities and have worse food |

| |environments.[x] |

| | |

| |Places to play and exercise |

| |About half of Oregon adults meet minimum physical activity recommendations. Only 12 percent of 11th-graders said they |

| |participated in daily physical education.[xi] |

| |About half of Oregon eighth-graders report watching TV or using video games, computer games or the Internet for |

| |non-school work for three or more hours in an average school day.[xii] |

| | |

| |Smokefree air and tobacco use |

| |On average, children are exposed to more secondhand smoke than nonsmoking adults. A 2010 study found that 50 percent of|

| |children ages 3 to 11 had recent exposure to cigarette smoke during the study period (1999-2008).[xiii] |

| |Oregonians who use tobacco tend to be physically inactive and eat diets low in fiber and high in fat, sugar and |

| |calories. As a result, they are at a much higher risk for many chronic diseases.[xiv] |

| | |

| |Disparities |

| |The unemployed are up to twice as likely to die earlier than others of the same age and sex. Oregon’s unemployment rate|

| |was 10.5 percent in December 2010, higher than the national average of 9 percent.[xv] |

| |From “Research Brief: Health Equity” (Oregon Health Authority, May 2011). |

| |It is well documented that income, home ownership and educational attainment influence health outcomes. |

| |Data show that communities of color and Oregonians living with lower incomes are less likely to have access to the |

| |health-promoting benefits of society (e.g., stable housing, healthy sources of food, opportunities to be active, |

| |regular provider of medical care, etc.). |

| |While 24.2 percent of white Oregonians are obese, 28.7 percent of African American Oregonians are obese, 30.3 percent |

| |of American Indian/Alaska Native and 30.9 percent of Hispanic. |

| |More than 17 percent of Oregonians smoke overall, but rates of smoking for African American Oregonians is 29.9 percent,|

| |38.3 percent for American Indian/Alaska Native. Hispanics (14 percent) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8 percent) are |

| |less likely to smoke. |

| |Asian/Pacific Islander and African Americans experience lower birth weight babies than other racial and ethnic groups, |

| |and experience higher potential life loss. |

|As a result, chronic diseases like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer are on the rise, especially among |

|underserved populations. |

| |Supporting Evidence |

| |In 2005, 133 million Americans—almost 1 out of every 2 adults—had at least one chronic illness. |

| |Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account |

| |for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year.[xvi] |

| |About one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more daily activity limitations. |

| |Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness |

| |among adults, ages 20 to 74.[xvii] |

| |Heart disease accounted for 22 percent of deaths in Oregon in 2005, while stroke caused 7 percent of deaths.[xviii] |

| |Twenty-four percent of all deaths in Oregon in 2005 were due to cancer.[xix] |

| |About 1,150 Oregonians died from diabetes in 2005.[xx] |

| |Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the U.S. and 26 percent of adults reported being diagnosed with |

| |arthritis in 2007.[xxi] Nearly 19 million Americans reported arthritis-related activity limitations.[xxii] |

| |In the past 30 years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and |

| |children.[xxiii] Nearly one in four children is overweight or obese.[xxiv] |

| |The current generation of children is expected to have shorter lives than their parents due to the consequences of |

| |obesity.[xxv] |

|(For policy makers and business community) |

|Healthy communities have an economic impact. |

| |Supporting Evidence |

| |Every year, chronic diseases in Oregon claim 19,000 lives[xxvi] and generate $16 billion in health care costs[xxvii] |

| |and countless hours of missed work. |

| |Every year, about 7,000 Oregonians die from smoking, costing an estimated $2.4 billion in health care costs and lost |

| |productivity.[xxviii] |

| |One-third of the increase in Oregon’s health care spending between 1998 and 2005 was due to the obesity epidemic, |

| |according to a recent study for the Northwest Health Foundation by Emory University.[xxix] |

| |Obesity costs Oregon more than $781 million in direct medical costs and more than $1 billion altogether, when including|

| |lost productivity and other health conditions that result from or exacerbate the disease.[xxx] [xxxi] |

| |Diabetes treatment in Oregon costs $1.4 billion per year—and that number is rising, according to state data.[xxxii] |

| |Obesity drives up workers’ compensation costs: Obese workers, compared with average workers, file twice as many |

| |workers’ compensation claims; the cost of the average claim is five times greater; and lost workdays are 13 times |

| |higher, according to a recent study by Duke University Medical Center.[xxxiii] |

THE SOLUTION

|We have the power to change the places we live, learn, work and play to put healthy options within reach. |

| |Supporting Point |

| |All Oregonians deserve convenient access to foods and activities that help them live better, regardless of their |

| |income, education or ethnicity. Healthy options should be expected, not something we have to search out. |

| |Supporting Point |

| |We’ll never entirely eliminate chronic diseases, so we also need options to help people take care of themselves and |

| |live better with their disease. |

| |Regular health screenings are important, as they can find problems before they start. They can also find problems |

| |early, when the chances for treatment and cure are better.[xxxiv] |

| |Living Well with Chronic Conditions: An evidence-based program that results in participants feeling less pain, having |

| |more energy and fewer hospitalizations. Twenty-nine of Oregon’s 36 counties have Living Well workshops.[xxxv] |

| |Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program: Increases joint flexibility and range of motion; helps maintain muscles |

| |strength.[xxxvi] |

| |Colorectal Cancer Screening: Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer.[xxxvii] Screening can prevent |

| |the cancer or catch it early when it’s highly treatable. |

| |Oregon Tobacco Quit Line: In fiscal year 2010, the Quit Line provided services to over 5,000 tobacco users.[xxxviii] |

ASK

| |Specific Actions for Consumers |

| |Tell your employer, school, community groups and elected officials that you want access to healthy options. |

| |When healthy options are available, use them to show your support and benefit your health. |

| |Specific Actions for Policymakers |

| |Please use smart policy to create communities that provide access to healthy options for all Oregonians. These policies|

| |create long-term impact on communities by shaping “the pattern of our lives and our health.”[xxxix] |

| |Thank you for the work you’ve done already to create effective policies that protect Oregonians, including the Indoor |

| |Clean Air Act and the Smoking Disclosure Law. |

| |Consider the health implications of all policies. |

| |Ensure that we have a strong public health system. |

-----------------------

[i] Oregon Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. Keeping Oregonians Healthy, 2007. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Health Division, 2008.

[ii] Total health care spending in the state for all payers—public, private and individuals—projected to be $19.3 billion in 2008. Office of Health Policy & Research, Trends in Oregon’s Health Care Market and the Oregon Health Plan, February 2009. Accessed April 7, 2011:

[iii] Anderson G. Chronic conditions: making the case for ongoing care. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 2010; 16. At pr/product.jsp?id=50968. Accessed on Jan. 24, 2011. (Health care spending for people with chronic conditions amounts to 84 percent of total health care spending.)

[iv] Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. Oregon Tobacco Facts & Laws. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Health Division, 2009.

[v] Physical Activity and Nutrition Program. Oregon Overweight, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Nutrition Facts. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Health Division, 2006.

[vi] All stats from Tobacco Facts

[vii] All stats from “Oregon Overweight, Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition Facts,” May 2012

[viii] Ibid

[ix] Ibid

[x] Policy Link, California Center for Public Health Advocacy, and UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes.

[xi] "Oregon Overweight, Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition Facts,” May 2012

[xii] Ibid

[xiii] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Nonsmokers’ Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the United States, 1999-2008,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 59(35), September 10, 2010. .

[xiv] Keeping Oregonians Healthy, page 8

[xv] Upstream Public Health. Health Impact Assessment of HB 2800: Farm to School and School Garden Policy. May 2011.

[xvi] Kung HC, Hoyert DL, Xu JQ, Murphy SL. Deaths: final data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Reports 2008;56(10). Available from:

[xvii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet, 2007. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2008. Available from:

[xviii] Oregon: Burden of Chronic Diseases. 2008. CDC.

[xix] Oregon: Burden of Chronic Diseases. 2008. CDC.

[xx] Oregon: Burden of Chronic Diseases. 2008. CDC.

[xxi] Oregon: Burden of Chronic Diseases. 2008. CDC.

[xxii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation—United States, 2003–2005. MMWR 2006;55:1089–1092. Available from:

[xxiii] Oregon: Burden of Chronic Diseases. 2008. CDC.

[xxiv] Multnomah County, It Starts Here. Sugary Drinks Toolkit.

[xxv] Multnomah County, It Starts Here. Baggage Toolkit.

[xxvi] Oregon Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. Keeping Oregonians Healthy, 2007. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Health Division, 2008.

[xxvii] Total health care spending in the state for all payers—public, private and individuals—projected to be $19.3 billion in 2008. Office of Health Policy & Research, Trends in Oregon’s Health Care Market and the Oregon Health Plan, February 2009. Accessed April 7, 2011:

[xxviii] Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. Oregon Tobacco Facts & Laws. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Health Division, 2010.

[xxix] Northwest Health Foundation Press Release:

[xxx] Finkelstein E, Fiebelkorn I, Wang G. “State-level estimates of annual medical expenditures attributable to obesity.” Obesity Research, 2004;12:18-24.

[xxxi]

[xxxii] Oregon Health Policy Board or the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Health Improvement Plan. December 2010.

[xxxiii] Ostbye T, Dement JM, Krause KM. “Obesity and workers’ compensation: results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System.” Arch Intern Med. 2007 Apr 23;167(8):766-73.

[xxxiv] when your chances for treatment and cure are better

[xxxv] Living Well with Chronic Conditions Data Report. February 2011. Page 3.

[xxxvi] Arthritis Foundation:

[xxxvii]

[xxxviii], page 19.

[xxxix]

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