Photo by Lyunmai via Unsplash
Collectively, Americans are a large people, and becoming more so by the year.
A study released Sept. 12 says significant hikes in adult obesity have been seen in 33 U.S. states over the past five years. The adult obesity rate in nine states is at or above 35%, a rate that was found in no states prior to 2013.
Those observations can be gleaned from "The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America," a survey in its 16th year conducted by the Trust for America’s Health.
If you want to look for a positive spin on the numbers, Virginia has an adult obesity rate of 30.4%, the lowest adult obesity rate in the South, and a shade better than the national average of 30.9%.
States with the highest levels of adult obesity are West Virginia and Mississippi, tied at 39.5%, followed by Arkansas (37.1%), Louisiana (36.8%) and Kentucky (36.6%). The lowest adult obesity rate in America, 23%, was reported in Colorado.
Virginia fares better in a ranking of obesity in youth (ages 10-17), with 13.2 % of youth considered obese, 16th in the nation. West Virginia has the most overweight youth, 20.3%, and ranks 50th. Utah bests the nation with a youth obesity rate of 8.7%.
Thirty-one recommendations were cited to lower obesity rates, ranging from hikes in taxes on sugar-laden drinks and diverting that money to projects to allay socioeconomic and health disparities to enhancing school nutrition programs with measures such as providing universal free meals to children.
Adult Obesity Rankings
A sampling including Virginia, nearby states and Washington, D.C.
1. West Virginia 39.5% (tied with Mississippi)
5. Kentucky 36.6%
12. Tennessee 34.4% (tied with Kansas)
19. North Carolina 33% (tied with Michigan)
25. Maryland 30.9% (tied with Pennsylvania)
28. Virginia 30.4% (tied with Maine)
50. District of Columbia 24.7%
