By James O. Hill

Two recent studies have highlighted a very worrisome issue for our state and the rest of the nation – our population’s dangerously expanding waistlines.

A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health found one in five Coloradans are now obese, Obesity-related diseases and health issues are on the rise in Colorado and, according to 2010 Colorado Health Report Card, are costing the state’s economy $1billion in medical costs.

But there is a beacon of hope. In addition to the initiatives and legislative successes already underway, there is a new Center being constructed at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus that will take on the obesity crisis and ultimately help position the Aurora and Denver metro area to become the nation’s “Silicon Valley of health and wellness.”

Up to now, health and wellness research and programs have tended to be fragmented or siloed. The new Anschutz Health and Wellness Center is bringing together leading experts from fields spanning across health and wellness to collaborate under one roof on scientific research and clinical studies. The goal is to produce practical knowledge and tools that can be applied in homes, schools, offices and communities to help people achieve and sustain healthier lifestyles.

We need to sustain and amplify the efforts currently underway, and continually develop new approaches and initiatives, so that we can lead the way in putting an end to the increasingly high obesity rates and chronic diseases in Colorado and the nation as a whole.

James O. Hill is executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.