Santa Cruz Gets OK Grades for Lack of Fat

Santa Cruzans got a decent report card from the national Nutrition Policy Institute last month, showing that locals were healthier than fellow Californians and diet-seeking peers across the country.

The Nutrition Policy Institute, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, showed more than 25 percent of all California residents were obese, as of 2014. This percentage has increased by 6 percent since 2001.

Though that may seem like a negative thing, in a nation where obesity is often more prevalent than average weight, that 6 percent doesn’t seem so extreme.

Data collected from residents of Santa Cruz County show that average males weigh about 207 pounds with a body mass index (BMI) of 29.7, which is about five points from “normal” BMI of about 25. Women in the county are doing slightly better. Average females weigh about 166 pounds with a BMI of 28.3.

When you compare Santa Cruz County with the rest of the state and the US, you see just how well Californians in Santa Cruz are doing. The average resident needs to lose about 42 pounds. That number is 18 percent lower than the state average 51 pounds and 30 percent lower than the US average 59 pounds.

“We are impressed by the steadfast nature of the obesity fight in California,” reported the Department of Healthcare Services, which started the Obesity Prevention Project in October 2015. The five-year program is designed to collect data that will later be used to create “recommendations for action.” There’s also the Nutrition Education and Obesity Brand of the California Department of Public Health with a vision to help develop “well-nourished, physically active Californians living in healthy communities.”

All data presented here was collected from visitors to Dietspotlight. The visitors from Santa Cruz County, visited the website in search of tools and resources for weight loss, including reviews on diet programs, fat burners, meal replacements, and more..