Iowa recently received a failing grade for its efforts addressing obesity, according to a University of Baltimore study, though many Iowa health experts and workers refute the assessment.

The state was one of 23 to earn an “F” for its efforts in combating obesity.

Some health professionals at Iowa State disagreed with Iowa’s rank of 14th in obesity occurrence, and they said they believed the particular study was not completely accurate.

“We’re not blazing trails, but we didn’t deserve to fail,” said Ruth Litchfield, ISU extension nutritionist and assistant professor of food science and human nutrition. “I think you have to look at the criteria to make a fair assessment.”

According to the University of Baltimore’s online report, the criteria used were based on the eight components: nutrition standards, vending machine usage, body mass index, recess and physical education, obesity programs and education, obesity research, obesity treatment in health insurance and obesity commissions.

The report explains that this criteria represent the particular types of legislation that have been either introduced or passed in some states.

“This study shows Iowa to have a problem, but generally speaking, Iowa is ranked as a healthy state,” said Tom Carney, director of communication and public information for the Iowa Department of Public Health.

In fact, in the latest United Health Foundation ranking, Iowa ranked as the seventh healthiest state, Carney said.

Although Iowa received a failing grade, Litchfield said the state of Iowa spent $783 million last year on health care related to obesity and is actively working to combat the problem. For example, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Team Nutrition is sponsoring the National School Lunch Program.

“They initiate team nutrition and try to promote healthy food, which does promote the effort to address obesity and weight control,” Litchfield said.

Iowa is one of 15 states to receive grant money for a program to promote this initiative in schools, Litchfield said.

One of the biggest programs Iowa is currently working on is “Lighten Up Iowa,” which is sponsored by the Iowa State Extension, Litchfield said.

The program promotes physical activity in youth, she said. The time that children spend on activities such as running, swimming, walking and racquetball are converted to mileage, and children compete for the most mileage in physical activities.

Diane Birt, distinguished professor of food science and human nutrition, said she believes the issue of obesity exceeds Iowa and even the United States as a whole.

“Every state in the nation should receive a failing grade,” she said. “Nationally, we struggle with this problem, [but] it’s not only a national problem — it’s also a global problem.”

“We have a constantly available and attractive food system,” she said.

Litchfield said she believed that to fully address and solve the problem of obesity, society needs to recognize the issue.

“There needs to be a shift in society’s perception of our health,” she said. “We have this mentality that, ‘The more the better,’ but that’s not true. To address this issue, you need to involve multiple avenues of interventions.”

Birt agreed.

“We can’t just blame the food industry,” she said. “We all need to work together to solve the problem. We need to find out the barriers and tackle them.”