How Fat is Your State?
Fattest States
1 has the most (and 51 the least) obese adults. These rankings combine scores from 2004-2006 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Surveillance System. One asterisk * is given states that increased one year, two asterisks ** to those that increased two years in a row. The definition of obese is a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
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*.
Source: F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007. See state by state statistics by clicking on their map.
An Inactive Nation
Why are we getting fatter every year? The report says 22% of adult Americans admit they get no physical activity. Zero. Nada. I think it would be easy to track that with the obesity rate, both as cause and as effect. If you are inactive, it's easy to eat more calories than you burn off each day, and slowly pack on the pounds that don't come off. Once you are big, the stress on your joints can make physical activity unpleasant, and so you do even less.
Adding in physical activity that you enjoy and can do every day is the key to better health and keeping off extra pounds. See the brand new Exercise Guidelines for Healthy Adults for the basic recommendations, as well as the Over Age 65 Exercise Guidelines.
What can be done on a national scale that will actually work to promote better eating choices and more physical activity? That's the problem I see. A lot of money can be wasted on programs that feel good but don't make a dent in the obesity trends. The report recommends more research on how to do this right.
Comments
In my case, the problem is mostly a work schedule that is too demanding. Since I’m not a “morning person” and cannot muster the energy to exercise in the early morning hours before work, and by the time I work all day and get dinner, it’s 8 p.m. or later, it’s really tough. More options presented by employers universally across the country and stronger encouragement by employers for employees to participate would really help. But instead, exercise is something employees are asked to do “on their own time” and those who want to take breaks during the day to walk or exercise are seen as not doing their job. IT’s both time pressure and guilt at play.
Wendy,
I love your site. I receive daily tips and I pass the info. to my co-workers. I do work for a health club in southern california so health/fitness legislation is very important to me. My company actually took a proactive approach with a program called HealthMiles…I would love for you to see it, Wendy…check it our on our website…www.spectrumclubs.com…this program allows employees to us a pedometer and take health measurements that are 3rd party and track it on a person, HIPAA compliant web site…we saved on our healthcare cost and we are a healthier and happy company…we have pedometer challenges that engage the whole company. I think too many companies and people are simply waiting, passively, for the government to help us with healthcare and fitness. It will not happen as long as our system is for profit. Those of us who are healthy will continue to pay for the unhealthy south. Why should the healthy companies get grouped in with all of America when the south is bring down the curve for all of us?! If you want to be unhealthy and overweight–that is your choice and you should pay for it, but not everyone should pay for it–thank you for your time. Jody
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Jody hit the nail on the head, with regards to employers seeing the big picture. The American corporate model stresses the almighty dollar as the bottom line. They fail to see how their profits could increase if they actually encouraged healthy lifestyles for their greatest assets - their employees. The Japanese have it all over us.
As a response to Caten; I am 56 also and fighting the weight because of immobility issues. I can’t walk without support so I have decided to walk in place by holding on to a high window in my house. Whatever it takes! I am desperate!