Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released the report F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009, which highlights the unabated growth (pun intended) of obesity in the United States. Adult obesity rates have increased in 23 states and have not decreased in any of the remaining states over the past year.

The report also ranks the fattest states. Mississippi leads the nation for the fifth year in a row with a 32.5% rate of adult obesity. The runners-up include Alabama (31.2%), West Virginia (31.1%), and Tennessee (30.2%). For comparison with the past, in 1991, there were no states that exceeded an adult obesity rate of 20%. Today, there are 49 states and Washington, D.C. that do.

The obesity epidemic is also beginning at an early age. About 44.4% of children in Mississippi are either overweight or obese. The numbers are similarly high in Arkansas at 37.5% and Georgia at 37.3%. The rate of childhood obesity has also tripled over the past 2 decades.

The report calls for action to address our currently failing anti-obesity strategies and provides recommendations to ameliorate the situation. With the innumerable morbid complications of obesity — not to mention cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the United States — this is an issue that could save billions of health care dollars if resolved. But, it is easier said that done: As I was once asked, “Why do hamburgers taste sooo good?”

The American Lung Association just published their annual State of the Air 2009 (PDF). This is a report that summarizes air pollution levels in cities throughout the United States. Its most interesting and notable feature for the general public are the rankings for most polluted cities, most polluted counties, cleanest cities, and cleanest counties. The three principal reporting categories include short-term particle pollution (24-hour PM_2.5), year-round particle pollution (Annual PM_2.5), and ozone content.

This year’s top 25 most polluted cities by year-round particle pollution (annual PM_2.5):

1. Bakersfield, CA
2. Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA
4. Visalia-Porterville, CA
5. Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL
6. Hanford-Corcoran, CA
7. Fresno-Madera, CA
8. Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN
9. Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI
10. Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH
11. Charleston, WV
12. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
13. Louisville-Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN
14. Macon-Warner Robbins-Fort Valley, GA
15. St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL
16. Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
17. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA-AL
18. Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN
19. Rome, GA
20. Canton-Massillon, OH
21. York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA
22. Lancaster, PA
23. New York-Neward-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA
24. Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
25. Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX

Once again, California takes several of the top spots. The Midwest is also well represented on this list of polluted cities. As for the cleanest cities, Cheyenne (Wyoming) was again ranked the best for long-term pollution, followed by Santa Fe (New Mexico) and Honolulu (Hawaii). So, there is yet another reason to move to Hawai’i.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently released a public health advisory on Chantix (varenicline), a smoking cessation drug manufactured by Pfizer. This follows an earlier investigation last year on reported behavioral changes associated with use of the drug. The presence of neurologic or psychiatric effects is not completely surprising, considering that Chantix interferes with the brain’s dopamine system. The dysregulation of dopamine has already been implicated in some neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Although the drug does not necessarily need to be withdrawn from the market, the FDA cautions both patients and health care providers to be vigilant about past psychiatric conditions and noted mood/behavior changes while on the drug. The FDA adds that use of the drug may interfere with the ability to drive.

Given that lung cancer and heart disease remain among the top killers in the United States, smoking cessation is a key strategy in preventive health. It is hard enough for a smoker to quit. Fortunately there are still several other pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic tools to aid in smoking cessation, including nicotine patches, Wellbutrin (bupropion), and a great coach-physician.

5min Life Videopedia may appear like another of the million YouTube clones on the Internet. It, however, distinguishes itself from its competitors by focusing on brief instructional videos. The site builds on two premises: 1) “everybody is an expert in something and has something to teach others”; and 2) “any solution can be visually explained in no more than 5 minutes.” As a result, we have a great online video resource where users can provide or find answers to practical questions in a few short minutes.

The site has a Health category, which features informative health-related videos geared for the general public. The category addresses a breadth of topics, ranging from cardiology and dermatology to nutrition and first-aid. Some video clips demonstrate adult CPR, teach massage techniques, and discuss diverse medical issues (e.g., testicular pain, Golfer’s elbow, seizures in children, dealing with colic). There is also a section dedicated to performing self-exams, such as the testicular and breast exams.

Having launched only a few months ago, 5min is relatively new, yet its video catalog is quite impressive. As of today, the user affiliated with DrMDK.com, a pediatrics website, is the largest overall contributor to 5min (329 uploads) and its Health category (209 uploads). Most of the videos simply consist of pediatricians briefly speaking about a topic before a camera, which makes the thought of creating such videos less daunting. Teaching physicians, who are accustomed to engaging in lengthy discourse in their fields of interest, should have no problem.

The American Lung Association just released the 2007 State of the Air, an annual report examining air pollution levels in American cities and counties. The three principal reporting categories include short-term particle pollution (24-hour PM_2.5), year-round particle pollution (Annual PM_2.5), and ozone content. This year’s dishonor for most polluted city goes to the Los Angeles metro (includes Long Beach and Riverside), which leads U.S. cities in all three categories. This is not surprising, given the pervasive orange-gray blanket over the Los Angeles sky. Interestingly, despite strict emission laws, several other Californian cities and counties rank very highly in the list. Detroit (Michigan), home to the automotive industry, shares fourth place with Birmingham, Alabama.

As for the cleanest cities, Cheyenne (Wyoming) was ranked the best for long-term particle pollution, followed by Santa Fe (New Mexico) and Honolulu (Hawaii). To be fair to California, three of its cities (Salinas, Redding, and San Luis Obispo) were included in the top 25.