Weightloss and Health - Top 12 States Prone to Obesity

To say that the obesity rates for adults in America continue to grow would be a bad use of a pun and an understatement, but it would be true. In the United States, the number of obese people increased in 23 of the states and did not decrease in any of the others over the past year. In an age when the importance of health and fitness is at an all-time high in society, the irony is not lost in the fact that obesity rates continue to rise despite health warnings and the consistent messages from the medical profession about the importance of weight control and a healthy diet.

Each year, Trust for America’s Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to health and disease prevention, teams up with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic group dedicated to improving the quality of health care for all Americans, to conduct a study of obesity rates in the U.S. The 2009 “F as in Fat” report was released in July of 2009 and warranted the subtitle “How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009.” The study looks at all age groups in all 50 states to determine the rate at which obesity declines or rises from year to year, and the latest results were surprising to many. Not only was it discovered that not one state saw a decrease, but it was found that at least 30 percent of children are obese—or at least at overweight status—in 30 of the 50 states. The trend is a scary one for the health of young people in America.

What can also be seen by simply looking at the top 12 states in which obesity is at a high for the country is that the vast majority of the states ranking highest are located in the southern and southeastern U.S., where food tends to be consumed in larger portions and with less of a concentration on healthy ingredients. With that said, Mississippi ranked at the top with 32.5 percent of its adult population considered obese, as well as 44.4 percent of its children from ages 10 to 17. The top four states on the list were all over 30 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, the state with the best ranking of only 18.9 percent was Colorado, but the next best states were all on the east coast—Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, with Hawaii coming in the middle with only 21.8 percent of its population considered overweight. And it is important to note than back in 1980, the obesity rate averaged 15 percent. In 1991, not a single state ranked about 20 percent. But by 2008, much of America had doubled in size, literally.

The authors of the report examined the results in light of federal and state government policies aimed at reducing or preventing obesity and, according to the title of the report, gave it a grade of F. While it is considered that the economic crisis has created problems with people being able to afford healthy foods versus those that are on sale, the recession also contributes to depression and stress that exacerbate overeating habits.

Also duly noted are programs implemented in several states that have the potential to work in coming years. For example, schools in 27 states have increased their nutritional standards, and children in 20 states are being mandatorily tested for body mass index as part of physical education programs in schools.

Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also issued recommendations based on the report findings, such as requiring that every person in America have coverage for preventive medical services that would include nutrition assistance. Programs were also suggested to make healthier foods affordable and available in schools and communities, as well as to promote nutrition and physical activity for those in the “baby boomer” generation in order to reduce Medicare costs in the future.

Moreover, it was suggested by the report’s authors that the National Strategy to Combat Obesity be created to institute such programs on a federal, state, and local level in cooperation with government programs. With the Obama Administration’s current focus on health care reform in America, such changes could very well be considered as part of the new way the U.S. looks at health care coverage and preventive care.

Nutrition & Diet

HealthNews Dozen: Top 12 States Prone to Obesity