Milwaukee County Nutrition & Physical Activity Coalition

Nutrition and Physical Activity
FACT SHEET

In Milwaukee County, based on the 2003 Milwaukee County Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition (MCNPAC) Summary Report:  

The most detrimental nutrition-related health concerns and also the leading cause of mortality and hospitalization are chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular diseases.

• Obesity was reported as either a direct or contributing risk factor to these top

  One of the top nutrition-related health problems is diabetes.    Ten percent of adults in Milwaukee County have diabetes.

  chronic diseases.
• The death rate due to coronary heart disease in Milwaukee County is 193.9, compared to a rate of 177.1 for the state; the death rate due to cerebrovascular disease, is 69.6 compared to a rate of 66.5 for the state.
• One of the top nutrition-related health problems is diabetes. Ten percent of adults in Milwaukee County, (vs. 6% in state) with a higher percent (67 percent vs. 59 percent) in the age range of 18-64 years, have diabetes.
• Overweight/obesity was ranked as highest nutrition related concern in addition to heart disease and diabetes.
• The top physical activity concern was lack of motivation.
• Thirty-six percent of adults in Milwaukee County (approximately 1/3 of all adults (or 337,459 adults) and 36 percent of adults in the state are obese.
• 27,400 of our community's youth are overweight and 37,850 youth are at risk for becoming overweight.
• Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adolescents. 
• Seventy-five percent of obese adolescents become obese adults.
• Forty percent of children who are obese at the age of seven become obese adults.
• 40.6 percent of youth participated in 20 minutes of vigorous exercise or physical activity on 3 or more in the last 7 days, and 15.6 percent did not participate in any vigorous or moderate physical activity in the last 7 days.
• 40.6 percent of youth had reported that they are trying to lose weight.
• Lifestyle factors were identified as the top contributing factors to overweight/obesity and lack of physical activity.
• Concerns related to physical activity included: access to, availability, safety, and cost of   physical activity, including lack of physical activity for children & physical activity in the schools. 
• Education was identified as key to addressing nutrition and physical activity problems.