Even though Americans are more physically active now, the rising tide of obesity continues apace, researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington reported in the open-access journal Population Health Metrics.

The authors of the article – “Prevalence of physical activity and obesity in US counties, 2001–2011: a road map for action” – added that some benefits will become evident as more people run, cycle and exercise. There will be fewer people dying or becoming chronically disabled from type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

They cannot fully explain why obesity figures increased at nearly the same rate as the increase in physical activity nationwide between 2001 and 2009.

IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray, said:

Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits. If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”

The largest gains in “sufficient physical activity” were reported in counties in Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. Concho County, Texas, registered the highest gain in physical activity for men, from 41.4% in 2001 to 58.2% in 2009, while the highest increase for females occurred in Morgan County, Kentucky, rising from 25.7% to 44%.

“Sufficient physical activity” means 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.

Below is a list of the ten most active and ten least active counties in the USA in 2011

  • Men, most active

    Teton, Wyoming 77.5%; Summit, Utah 73.2%; Routt, Colorado 72.9%; Summit, Colorado 72.7%; Jefferson, Washington 72.2%; Nevada, California 71.9%; La Plata, Colorado 71.9%; Wasatch, Utah 71.7%; Kauai, Hawaii 71.6%; Los Alamos, New Mexico 71.4%

  • Men, least active

    Owsley, Ketucky 33.1%; Holmes, Oklahoma 33.7%; Wolfe, Kentucky 34.2%; Issaquena, Mississippi 34.6%; McDowell, West Virginia 34.7%; Casey, Kentucky 34.8%; Clay, Kentucky 35.8%; Mingo, West Virginia 36.0%; Clinton, Kentucky 36.1%; Taliaferro, Georgia 36.4%

  • Women, most active

    Routt, Colorado 74.7%; Marin, California 74.2%; Teton, Wyoming 72.7%; Pitkin, Colorado 72.4%; San Juan, Washington 71.6%; Summit, Utah 69.6%; Eagle, Colorado 69.6%; Barnstable, Massachusetts 69.2%; Benton, Oregon 69.1%; Rio Blanco, Colorado 68.8%.

  • Women, least active

    Issaquena, Mississippi 28.4%; Noxubee, Mississippi 29%; Quitman, Mississippi 29.1%; Tallahatchie, Mississippi 30.7%; Haywood, Tennessee 30.7%; Tunica, Mississippi 30.7%; McDowell, West Virginia 30.8%; Humphreys, Mississippi 30.9%; East Carroll, Louisiana 31.2%.

Lewis County, Kentucky saw the steepest rise in obesity among men, with rates rising from 28.9% in 2001 to 44.7% in 2009. In Berkeley County, South Carolina, 36.1% of women in 2001 were obese, compared to 47.9% in 2009.

The figures below show the counties with the highest and lowest obesity rates in 2011

  • Men, lowest obesity percentages

    San Francisco, California 18.3%; New York, New York 19.1%; Falls Church City, Virginia 19.5%; Santa Fe, New Mexico 21%; Pitkin, Colorado 21.3%; Teton, Wyoming 21.6%; Eagle, Colorado 22%; Fairfax City, Virginia 22%; District of Columbia 22.4%; Summit, Utah 22.4%

  • Men, highest obesity percentages

    Owsley, Kentucky 46.9%; Issaquena, Mississippi 46.7%; East Carroll, Louisiana 46.6%; Holmes, Ohio 46.4%; Starr, Texas 46.2%; Lewis, Kentucky 46.1%; McDowell, West Virginia 46%; Lincoln, West Virginia 45.9%; Allen, Louisiana 45.6%; Union, Florida 45.5%

  • Women, lowest obesity percentages

    Falls Church City, Virginia 17.6%; Pitkin, Colorado 18.5%; Douglas, Colorado 18.6%; Routt, Colorado 19%; Teton, Wyoming 19.6%; Summit, Utah 20%; San Francisco, California 20.9%; Eagle, Colorado 20.9%; Marin, California 21.1%; Gallatin, Montana 21.9%

  • Women, highest obesity percentages

    Issaquena, Mississippi 59.3%; Humphreys, Mississippi 59.1%; East Carroll, Louisiana 58.9%; Quitman, Mississippi 58.1%; Greene, Alabama 58%; Allendale, South Carolina 58%; Wilcox, Alabama 57.8%; Shannon, South Dakota 57.7%; Jefferson, Mississippi 57.7%; Holmes, Mississippi 57.6%

Dr. Ali Mokdad, Professor of Global Health at IHME, said:

More aggressive strategies to prevent and control obesity are needed. Diet and changes in individual behavior are key components. Understanding local trends in obesity and physical activity in both rural and urban areas will help communities develop successful strategies and learn from one another.”

According another report published this week by IHME, high BMI (body mass index) is today the third-leading risk factor for health in the United States. Obesity in America has had a negative impact on life expectancy.

In another report, also published in Population Health Metrics“Left behind: widening disparities for males and females in US county life expectancy, 1985–2010” – authors revealed enormous disparities between men and women’s life expectancies.

Between 1985 and 2010, men had the highest increase in life expectancy, from 75.5 to 81.7 years, while the lowest life expectancy was seen among those aged less than 65 years; in that age group the USA ranks below Indonesia. The authors wrote “For women at the county level, the highest life expectancy increased from 81.1 years in 1985 to 85 years in 2010, and lowest life expectancy remained at about 73 years, lower than Botswana.”

Dr. Haidong Wang, lead author on the life expectancy study, said “That’s slow progress in life expectancy compared to other countries around the world, and it’s especially slow for women.”

For over 25 years there was no significant change in life expectancy for females in 1,405 counties in the USA. Similar disappointing statistics were found in 154 counties for male life expectancy over the same period.

The figures below show the counties with the longest and shortest life expectancies at birth in 2010

  • Men, longest life expectancies (in years)

    Fairfax County, Virginia 81.67; Gunnison, Colorado 81.65; Pitkin, Colorado 81.65; Montgomery, Maryland 81.57; Marin, California 81.44; Douglas, Colorado 81.41; Eagle, Colorado 81.01; Loudoun, Virginia 81; Santa Clara, California 80.98; Teton, Wyoming 80.93

  • Men, shortest life expectancies (in years)

    McDowell, West Virgina 63.9; Bolivar, Mississippi 65.03; Perry, Kentucky 66.52; Floyd, Kentucky 66.59; Tunica, Mississippi 66.7; Quitman, Mississippi 66.7; Sunflower, Mississippi 66.92; Coahoma, Mississippi 66.92; Washington, Mississippi 67.1; Macon, Alabama 67.19

  • Women, longest life expectancies (in years)

    Marin, California 85.02; Montgomery, Maryland 84.87; Collier, Forida 84.62; Santa Clara, California 84.54; Fairfax County, Virginia 84.52; San Francisco, California 84.38; Gunnison, Colorado 84.33; Pitkin, Colorado 84.33; San Mateo, California 84.3; Bergen, New Jersey 84.26

  • Women, shortest life expectancies (in years)

    Perry, Kentucky 72.65; McDowell, West Virginia 72.9; Tunica, Mississippi 73.36; Quitman, Mississippi 73.36; Petersburg, Virginia 73.69; Sunflower, Mississippi 73.85; Mississippi, Arkansas 73.85; Mingo, West Virginia 73.92; Washington, Mississippi 74.09; Leslie, Kentucky 74.12

Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said:

While lack of access to health care and poor quality health care are important factors behind life expectancy, community factors that support healthy eating and active living are also vitally important to health and well-being. The health system across the US has a critical role to play in community prevention efforts that will help people live longer and healthier lives.”

Several studies over the last few years have reported on a growing gap between America’s life expectancy figures and those of its rival nations (other rich countries). In November 2011, IHME published a study showing that 80% of counties in America fell behind the life expectancy average of the top ten countries in the world.

Co-author, Dr. Christopher Murray, IHME Director, wrote that even though the USA spends much more per person than any other country on health, “eight out of every 10 counties are not keeping pace in terms of health outcomes. That’s a staggering statistic.”

In November 2011 the USA ranked 37th in life expectancy worldwide.

USA health expenditure, so much for so little – a 2011 report showed that although the USA spent 17.4% of GDP on health care and other rich nations spent 9.5%, it had the most people with no healthcare cover or inadequate healthcare cover.