Obesity Continues To Grow In The United States

Featured Article
Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 27 Aug 2007 - 11:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Adult obesity is becoming more common in 31 states in the USA, according to a report "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH)". According to the report, not one single state was able to report a fall in obesity rates for the year 2006 - twenty two states experienced a second consecutive year increase.

According to a new public opinion survey, 85% of US adults believe obesity has now become an epidemic.

Mississippi, the country's fattest state for the third year running, has 30.6% of its adults citizens classed as obese - it is the first state to cross the 30% mark. The thinnest state is Colorado, where obesity rates rose to 17.6%, compared to 16.9% the previous year. Of the country's 15 fattest states ten are located in the south. Nineteen US states have obesity rates over 25%, compared to 14 the previous year. In 1991 the state with the highest obesity rate reported that 20% of its adults were obese.

Of concern are obesity/overweight rates among kids. In Washington D.C. 22.8% of children are overweight, while in Utah they stand at 8,5%. Eight states in the South have among top ten overweight/obese rates when it comes to children.

"There has been a breakthrough in terms of drawing attention to the obesity epidemic. Now, we need a breakthrough in terms of policies and results. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity are robbing America of our health and productivity," said Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH.

Adult Obesity League Tables, by State (1 = Highest rates of adult obesity)

1: Mississippi
2: West Virginia
3: Alabama
4: Louisiana
5 (tie): South Carolina,Tennessee
7: Kentucky
8: Arkansas
9 (tie): Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma
12 (tie): Missouri, Texas
14: Georgia
15: Ohio
16: Alaska
17: North Carolina
18: Nebraska
19: North Dakota
20 (tie): Iowa, South Dakota
22: Wisconsin
23 (tie): Pennsylvania, Virginia
25 (tie): Illinois, Maryland
27: Kansas
28: Minnesota
29: Delaware
30: Oregon
31 (tie): Idaho, Washington
33: Maine
34: Florida
35: Wyoming
36: California
37: Nevada
38 (tie): New Hampshire, New York
40 (tie): D.C., New Jersey
42: New Mexico
43: Arizona
44: Utah
45: Montana
46: Rhode Island
47 (tie): Connecticut, Hawaii
49: Vermont
50: Massachusetts
51: Colorado.

Children 10-17 Overweight League Tables, by State

1: D.C.
2: West Virginia
3: Kentucky
4: Tennessee
5: North Carolina
6: Texas
7: South Carolina
8: Mississippi
9: Louisiana
10: New Mexico
11: Alabama
12 (tie): Arkansas, Georgia
14: Illinois
15 (tie) Indiana, Missouri
17: Oklahoma
18: New York
19: Delaware
20: Michigan
21: Florida
22: Ohio
23: Oregon
24: Kansas
25: Virginia
26: New Jersey
27: Massachusetts
28: Wisconsin
29 (tie) Hawaii, Maryland, Pennsylvania
32: California
33: New Hampshire
34: Maine
35: Iowa
36: Nevada
37: Connecticut
38: Arizona; 39 (tie): North Dakota, South Dakota
41 (tie): Nebraska, Rhode Island
43: Vermont
44 (tie) Alaska, Montana
46: Washington
47 (tie): Idaho, Minnesota
49: Colorado
50: Wyoming
51: Utah

Click here for a full breakdown by state

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today