- IN TONIGHT'S LOOK AHEAD, A NEW INTERACTIVE TOOL DEVELOPED
BY THE UW-MADISON SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH,
ALONG WITH OTHER PARTNERS, HAS MAPPED THE STATE'S LEVELS OF
OBESITY DOWN TO THE ZIP CODE.
MULTIMEDIA REPORTER MARISA WOJCIK EXPLAINS MORE.
- HEALTH RESEARCHERS ARE CALLING THE BIG PICTURE OF
OBESITY IN WISCONSIN AN EPIDEMIC.
THE WISCONSIN HEALTH ATLAS IS A NEW SEARCHABLE MAP THAT COMPILES
HEALTH DATA FROM SYSTEMS ACROSS THE STATE.
IT SHOWS RATES OF OBESITY ACROSS VIERS FACTORS, BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY BY ZIP CODE.
RESEARCHERS ARE HOPING THAT THIS DATA WILL LEAD TO TARGETING
RESOURCES TOWARDS THE AREAS THAT NEED IT MOST.
WITHIN THE SAME COUNTY, THERE CAN BE SHARP CONTRASTS BETWEEN
ZIP CODES THAT ARE RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, THE ZIP CODE 54701 HAS
AN AVERAGE RATE OF OBESITY OF ABOUT 40%.
BUT THE ZIP CODE RIGHT NEXT-DOOR HAS AN AVERAGE RATE OF ABOUT
48%.
RESEARCHERS SAY THAT THERE IS ALSO A CORRELATION BETWEEN
OBESITY AND RURAL ZIP CODES AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO FRESH,
HEALTHY FOOD, TIME SPENT DRIVING, QUALITY HEALTH CARE AND
OLDER POPULATIONS.
STATEWIDE, THE HIGHEST RATES OF OBESITY OCCUR IN PEOPLE AGE 65
TO 75, BUT IT CAN START AT INFANCY.
10% OF WISCONSIN'S CHILDREN AGED TWO TO FIVE ARE CONSIDERED
OBESE.
THIS MAP IS JUST A SNAPSHOT DISPLAYING DATA FROM 2015 TO
2016.
HOWEVER, IT'S MORE ACCURATE THAN PREVIOUS ESTIMATES BECAUSE IT'S
USING INFORMATION FROM OUR ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS.
UNTIL NOW, MOST MAPS ONLY GO BY NUMBERS ON A COUNTY LEVEL.
BUT THIS NEW MAP LOOKS AT POCKETS WITHIN COUNTIES,
EQUIPPING HEALTH OFFICIALS, GOVERNMENTS AND EVEN SCHOOL
DISTRICTS WITH A MORE DETAILED PICTURE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.
FOR THESE AND OTHER FAST FACTS, VISIT WPT.ORG.
- THAT WAS "HERE AND NOW" PRODUCER MARISA WOJCIK.