HBO to stream episodes of "The Weight of the Nation" online

The obesity epidemic is now recognized as one of the most pressing health issues facing the nation today. To draw attention to the issue, a public education campaign will be launched with the broadcast of “The Weight of the Nation,” a four-part documentary series on HBO starting on Monday, May 14.

HBO will drop its subscriber fees during the premier and stream the episodes online at HBO.com, in English and Spanish, to make them widely accessible to the public.

The documentary, three years in the making, takes a head-on look at the severity of the obesity crisis and its crippling effect on our health care system. It is a collaboration of HBO, and the Institute of Medicine, in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health as an education effort to combat the obesity epidemic.

“We encourage every adult and child in our community to watch and discuss these films. They will give all of us a reason to take action to support obesity prevention efforts like school wellness policies, the creation of safe walking and biking routes and better access to healthy foods,” Grace Gee, Co-Chair of the Healthier Douglas County Coalition said.

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults age 20 and over are overweight or obese, while nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. In Douglas County over 60% of adults are overweight or obese. Even more concerning is that 36% of children are overweight or obese. According to the Wisconsin County Heath Ranking Report 86% of adults report they had less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and 53% are physically inactive. If trends continue, close to half of Wisconsinites will be obese in seven years.

Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for serious chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These conditions consume 80 percent of health care costs in the United States. Obesity-related medical expenses total billions of dollars each year in Wisconsin alone.

“Obesity is preventable, yet Wisconsin is one of the states that spends nothing on obesity prevention efforts,” Grace Gee said. “We have to take action to stop it. This documentary series is a step in the right direction.”

The four films in The Weight of the Nation are as follows:

Part 1: Consequences. (Debut: Monday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. CT)

Part 2: Choices. (Debut: Monday, May 14 at 8:10 p.m.)

Part 3: Children in Crisis. (Debut: Tuesday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m.)

Part 4: Challenges. (Debut: Tuesday, May 15 at 8:10 p.m.)

To learn more about The Weight of the Nation visit www.hbo.com/weightofthenation

Tags: entertainment, health, youth