Mobile Ranked 5th Fattest City in America: How We Can Slim Down

JagFIT recently expanded its facilities to a new gym at USA Health Children's & Women's Hospital, so USA Health employees can more easily participate in challenges. 

WalletHub recently released their data on the “2019 Fattest Cities in America,” with Mobile ranking No. 5 overall and No. 1 in the health consequences portion – which includes data on share of adults with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity-related death.

Although these findings can be intimidating, Phyllus Justice, a diabetes resource coordinator with USA Health, said the report should serve as a catalyst to make healthier choices.

According to Justice, more than 80 percent of chronic diseases and premature death can be prevented by following a healthy dietary pattern, getting regular physical activity and not smoking.

Justice attributes Mobile’s ranking to common diet and exercise habits seen in the South. “The Southeast United States, including Mobile, is known for their southern cooking. The bulk of our cuisine includes fried foods and fatty meats cooked in our vegetables – such as salt meat, ham hocks and bacon drippings,” she said. “Most of these lifestyle habits have been passed down through the generations and it is how we have learned to live.”

She also credits our current culture of seeking immediate gratification for the predicament. “We live in a fast world and want everything to be done quickly: fast internet, fast food and fast weight loss,” she said. “Weight loss and being healthy is a process and it requires building healthy habits into our life over time.”

Committed to helping employees live a healthier lifestyle, the University of South Alabama recently created JagFIT@South. The program, which first launched in October of 2018, seeks to elevate health and well-being for the University community.

“JagFIT is a comprehensive well-being program that attempts to educate, motivate, inform and inspire our university community in all areas of wellness,” said Brian Allred, director of campus recreation and committee chair of JagFIT. “The program provides information and resources dealing with nutrition, mental health, mindfulness, wellness events, health screenings and self-assessment tests. It is a one-stop, well-being resource for all USA employees.”

Phil Craft, HVAC maintenance supervisor at USA, has been an active member of JagFIT since January. “I set a goal to get healthy again and JagFIT is making that possible,” he said. “I’ve committed to doing better and I’m already down 28 pounds.”

Each day, Craft and his wife – Marie Craft, a secretary in the department of microbiology at the USA College of Medicine – meet for lunch to go on a “date-walk.”

Craft said the benefits of JagFIT extend beyond physical health. “It’s also a mental stress reliever,” he said. “I work a stressful job and it’s nice to have the chance to unwind mentally with exercise.”

For those looking to start their journey to a healthier life, Justice said best way is to start small, as small changes add up to big benefits. “You do not have to change everything at one time,” she said. “Start with small changes in your food and activity. Eating a diet high in plant foods and low in processed foods is best for health and longevity.”

She offers these tips:

1. Eat whole foods that grow in nature. Half of your dinner plate should be cooked vegetables or salad. 
2. Eat more meals at home. Learn how to cook quick, go-to meals and get comfortable with the basics. 
3. Stock your pantry with healthy basics such as olive and canola oils, onion, garlic and beans.
4. Learn how to season foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. 
5. Read food labels. Avoid food products containing ingredients that you wouldn’t keep in your pantry. Also avoid foods that have some form of sugar listed among the first three ingredients. 
6. Shop the peripheries of the grocery store and limit items that you get from the middle of the store, which have more added fat, salt, and sugar. 
7. Make water your beverage of choice. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. 
8. Eat at the table, take your time eating and enjoy talking with friends and family. Do not eat standing up, in the car and preferably not by yourself if possible. 
9. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored. 
10. Work physical activity into your day. Every 10 minutes that we walk adds up and counts. 
11. Aim for a healthy 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Track your time with a phone app.

Justice stresses the importance of being determined, yet realistic when making the switch. “Life happens – we have birthdays, special occasions and go on vacations. It is what we usually eat and what we usually do that matters, not what we do every now and then.”

For more information on JagFIT, visit https://www.southalabama.edu/programs/jagfit@south/