Obesity isn’t just about weight. It’s a disease and rising to epidemic proportions throughout Pennsylvania.

As the world’s leading strength training resource and news outlet, BarBend seeks to inform readers about health and fitness. Its recent study on obesity rates in Pennsylvania over the last decade is eye-opening.

According to the study, only two counties in the entire state decreased their obesity rates, and one county remained static. The remaining 64 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties increased their obesity rates.

Butler County was among the 64, with a 4% increase in obesity rates since 2012.

While the increase may be disheartening, Butler County actually ranks 21 among the state’s other 67 counties. Butler’s current obesity level stands at 31%, which is 2% less than the state average.

Pennsylvania, as a whole, ranks at No. 24 for biggest loser of pounds nationwide, and Apricot Content describes this statistic positively.

“If there was a silver lining to have come out of the research, it was that when compared nationally, Pennsylvania’s trend towards obesity is not as pronounced as in other states,” Apricot Content said.

Max Whiteside of BarBend doesn’t think this is cause for celebration.

“The data clearly shows that, despite the warnings from public health officials, our lifestyles are becoming more sedentary, and as a nation, we are becoming more obese,” Whiteside said. “This is a crisis which is trending in the wrong direction.”

Patti Kuniak, Butler Health System’s Lifestyle Coaching Program manager who is both a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist, agrees with Whiteside about the data.

“We are in a worldwide obesity epidemic,” said Kuniak. “Butler County isn’t any different than the rest of the United States. We are in the same struggle as everyone else.”

Kuniak said obesity has been recognized by the American Medical Association as a disease state, meaning people with obesity require medical treatment and advice just like people with cancer, heart disease or diabetes. They can’t solely rely on willpower.

A necessary goal for Kuniak is educating people to place obesity in the proper mindset, a disease that if untreated results in other health problems and complications.

“Obesity is a complex disease,” said Kuniak. “We can’t look at our weight and feel like it's a moral misgiving.”

Instead, Kuniak said obesity treatment requires holistic lifestyle considerations.

“Weight management is more than just eating right and learning how to move,” said Kuniak. “There are many treatment options and lifestyle treatment is part of that.”

Lifestyle treatment includes looking at a number of factors that affect a person’s health. Diet, stress, sleep patterns, hormones, activity level and more all play a part in healthy living.

According to a June 29 news release, professors at Slippery Rock University also have been concerned with the increase in obesity in Butler county, especially among college students.

Professor of physical and health education Dr. Wenhao Liu and associate professor of physical and health education Dr. Istvan Kovacs, both of SRU, studied more than 400 students taking the university’s Wellness Through Movement class.

Their goal was to understand and reverse the trend toward increased obesity rates among today’s college students.

According to Liu, the main contributing factors to obesity are lack of physical activity and poor nutrition. The leading deterrents for people in regard to their participation in physical activity are lack of skills, knowledge and social support.

Dr. Marcy Leeds, a professor in SRU’s public health department and a registered dietician nutritionist, said COVID-19 played a significant role in the health of students and faculty over the last three years as well.

“The pandemic definitely affected people in the last few years,” said Leeds.

Access to healthy foods and workout facilities have decreased significantly while the cost of living rose drastically.

These challenges make it difficult to actively work toward a healthier lifestyle and play a major role in the rise of obesity rates.

“I like to eat healthily,” said Leeds. “It is harder to do so now.”

Sandra Ihlenfeld, executive director of the Butler YMCA, agrees.

“Specifically, COVID was really bad for our health,” said Ihlenfeld.

People stayed at home, didn’t move as much and ate more comfort food. Mental health declined.

Ihlenfeld said the YMCA now offers about 50 classes per week that can help people regain their fitness and health levels. Participants can choose classes that align with their abilities and needs.

“We realize it’s not a one size fits all,” Ihlenfeld said. “We try to build relationships in classes so people like to come.”

Ihlenfeld said it is important for people to feel accomplished in their work and comfortable in their environment when they take classes and engage in healthy living. This means creating manageable classes for people of all levels and ages.

BHS also has lifestyle coaching programs. Kuniak personally teaches a volumetrics weight management series that educates participants on how to eat and includes physical activity and behavior modification components.

“We teach a variety of classes aimed at helping to manage chronic disease,” said Kuniak.

Additionally, the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center offers lifestyle management classes open to anyone age 18 or older. Classes include health and wellness, diabetic management, weight loss and smoking cessation, among others.

Obesity will continue to affect Butler County residents as it does others in the state and nation as a whole, but Butler has numerous resources for those who struggle with obesity and its related ailments. Identifying the proper tools and building lifestyle habits are a good start.