William Atkins
Thursday, 02 July 2009 19:03
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
According to the Foundation’s report, Colorado had the least percentage of its people with obesity, at 18.9%, followed by Massachusetts, at 21.2%, Connecticut, at 21.3%, Rhode Island, 21.7%, and Hawaii, at 21.8%.
In all, 23 out of 50 states had increased rates of obesity in 2009 over the 2008 survey. In fact, 31 states have over one in four adults that are obese.
It was reported that declines in the percentage of obesity did not occur to any significant degree in any state.
The report also found that the rate of obesity, throughout the United States, is higher among 55-to-64-year-olds than among those 65-years-and-older.
In Alabama, for example, the percentage of people 55-to-64-years-old (what is considered the oldest sector of the “baby boomers”) who are considered obese is nearly 39%.
The report also found that the South is the fattest region of the United States, with the Northeastern states and the Western states slightly slimmer than the rest of the country, which puts the Midwest in the middle of the bulging country.
According to the July 1, 2009 CNN Health article
Mississippi tops U.S. obesity rankings,
“While deep-fried Southern cooking is legendary, Mississippi also ranks high in poverty statistics and low in education -- two factors commonly related to obesity. But Thompson said education appears to be more closely related to obesity than poverty.”
Page three concludes with comments from Dr. Thompson, along with Jeff Levi of the Trust for America's Health.
