LANSING – Programs are working to fight obesity problems in Michigan, a health risk that the World Health Organization describes as more crippling than smoking.

Television shows like on “Maury” with 115-pound, 8-year-old children, jokes about Jenny Craig and that friend who boasts about eating a dozen Krispy Kremes are a few examples of how frivolously some people take obesity.

That’s why Kimberlydawn Wisdom, the state’s surgeon general, is pushing for changes.

Wisdom said 63 percent of Michigan adults and 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. That number has tripled over the last two decades, leading to concern and the creation of programs to combat the trend.

Alpena and Bad Axe are among the locations with such programs.

“We’re trying to create a culture of wellness throughout the state,” Wisdom said.

Michigan is the 11th-heaviest state, with an obesity rate of 25.6 percent of the population, according to Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit organization. The national average is about 25 percent, ranging between 16.9 in Colorado and 29.5 in Mississippi.

The federal goal is to reduce the proportion in every state to 15 percent by 2010.

“Obesity costs the state $2.9 billion a year,” said Geralyn Lasher, communications director for the Department of Community Health.

Heart disease, diabetes, breathing problems, arthritis and reproductive complications are common results of obesity, which also increases the risk of depression and gall bladder disease, according to the U.S. surgeon general.

Wisdom said that reducing obesity would cut health care costs and improve the state’s economy.

Rep. Matthew Gillard, D-Alpena, a former member of the House health Policy Committee, said, “We struggle with our budget, with funding problems here in the state. It’s tough.

“As a state government, you almost feel as if you’re sticking your fingers in the holes as the whole dam is about to burst out on you on the health care issue,” he said.

Gillard said, “Exercising is great, and it’s especially imperative for parents, and even young children, to stress the importance to their kids of physical fitness and physical activity -- to keep their kids as healthy as possible through physical activity, because that’s really where we see the problems.

“It’s a problem growing, unfortunately, through young people in our society.”

Steps Up and Let’s Get Moving Northern Michigan (LGMNM) are two programs that encourage residents to exercise, while providing educational information on healthier living and eating practices.

The LGMNM, which began in West Branch, is a 100-day program in the northern Lower Peninsula in which people record how much they walk or jog and compete with residents of nearby communities.

This year, almost 8,000 people participated in the program, said Martha LaFave, a registered nurse and community health outreach coordinator for the Alpena Regional Medical Center’s Health Resource Center.

Alpena supplied nearly 2,000 of those participants, who tallied 362,000 miles of walking and jogging.

“We had coupon books that showed people how they could be active, and we gave them mileage and wellness points for what they ate,” LaFave said. “We got some great feedback about how we made people aware of how great water“ - as opposed to soft drinks and preservative-filled juices –“is and how we helped them lose weight.”

Wisdom said that the state is working with communities to promote healthier lunch options, nutritional standards and exercise in schools and the workplace through the Steps Up program.

Businesses, health care institutions, cities and towns, schools and faith-based organizations are being networked into the program, according to Wisdom. For example, she said the Lakeview School District in Battle Creek is one of the most active participants thus far, modifying its lunch menus and programs.

“Some programs we don’t know about,” Wisdom said. “They grab tools from our Web site and start running.”