Fattest States | 07/02/2009 9:20 am
America's Getting Fatter: Mississippi, Southern States Among Nation's Worst Offenders
Study shows a whopping two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or
obese, and obesity rates for children are at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
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When it comes to trimming the fat, Americans across the country are doing a really poor job.
A new study out today shows that Americans — pretty much everywhere — are getting fatter. Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and didn’t decrease in a single state last year! And it’s not just adults who are losing the battle of the bulge. The percentage of obese and overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states. That’s not good news for the future, since studies show that obese kids more than likely will turn out to be obese adults. This is yet another good reason to teach your kids good eating habits now, and to encourage exercise!
Mississippi leads the way for obese adults and kids. A whopping 44.4 percent of Mississippi kids ages 10 through 17 are technically overweight or obese, according to rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health. The other fattest states and their obesity percentages include: West Virginia, 31.2 percent; Alabama, 31.1 percent; Tennessee, 30.2 percent; and South Carolina 29.7 percent. Southern states take the cake — literally — for obesity rates. Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Hawaii had the lowest obesity rates. Here’s another number to consider: in 49 states, 1 in 5 people are obese. Two-thirds of Americans are now either overweight or obese.
Not only is this bad for our own personal health, and not only does it lead to higher cases of diabetes and other health-related problems, but it doesn’t bode well for the nation’s health-care system, either.
"Our health-care costs have grown along with our waistlines,” said Jeff Levi, Ph.D., executive director of Trust for America’s Health. "The obesity epidemic is a big contributor to the skyrocketing health-care costs in the United States. How are we going to compete with the rest of the world if our economy and workforce are weighed down by bad health?"
Click here for an interactive, state-by-state map of obesity rates.
Read more about: Colorado, Fat, Health, health care, Mississippi, News, Obesity Rates, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Study, Trust for America's Health, US
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76 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Deber b,
I second your opinion.
I’ve got a virgin oven. Seriously, I cannot and will not cook. Luckily he can work wonders on the grill. But when he’s not home, I’ve learned to grab a bunch of cold raw vegetables and make a dinner out of it.
Another thing: mealtime was the time for family to sit down and talk and share the happenings of the way when I was growing up. Sadly it’s not like that very often. So, with that in mind, here’s some free information from my doctor: treat the body as though it’s a furnace and needs real food every few hours. No processed stuff. Real level 1 food. Big meals are passe.
SG, I think it’s more about education and effort than it is about cost. Rice, potatoes, and dry beans are full of nutrients, satisfying, healthy, and dirt-cheap. I knew a fellow servicemember with seven kids; his wife could not afford to work, as any job would never have paid the child care costs. Her job - and she did it well - was managing the household, and food was a major part of it. Even with a family of nine on one fairly modest salary, they had everything they needed, and even managed to add to their savings.
Fast Foods….that is the big culprit in the obesity these days….growing up, we never had the Big Macs or Burger King….we had one small drive inn and rarely did we go there, except for an ice cream treat on special occasions! We went out and rode bikes and played yard games to work off our energy before bed time.
Now it is so easy to stop and get fast food and take home for the family who will sit after eating and watch tv or play computer games…our culture has changed…we need more healthy choices and exercise, exercise and more exercise!!!
SG, now you are bringing back wonderful memories. After Hurricane Ike, the kids in several families were bored. We had no electricity for several weeks ( for most people, others fared batter). So, one evening I took eleven out and taught them yard games that I played as a child. Red Rover, Swinging Statue, Tug of War, one legged races, sack races. They had a ball! And so did I , although I can’t move that sack like I could when I was eight!
Now kids have play dates and don’t know the sweet , familiar sound of the summer ice cream truck.
Libra, we did have fun. Here’s where it gets crazy. A friend of mine grew up in Alice, Texas… hotter than a toad’s back in August.. No air conditioning in that little frame house. At night, her mom would" wet down the sheets" so the kids could get to sleep. We did the same thing during Ike. We would dampen the sheets and pillow cases so everyone could get some rest. Within a couple of hours, those sheets were dry again but everyone was alseep.
Isn’t is something, Libra, when a natural disaster can bring out the best in people? I’ve seen it with people battling California’s fires and the North Eastern blizzards as well. I think sometimes, it’s a good thing to be taken out of our comfort zones for awhile. Uh… make that just a little while! :)
Maggie…that is so true….the true, caring people come out to help when you are in need. Everyone has a heart of gold and it is very heartwarming. The wetting down sheets is something I had not heard of….but I will remember that if ever I am in a disaster of any kind…(in the summer time of course)
Got to have that exercise.
I hate gyms. Really hate them. So I do my 25 minute walk which covers 1.7 miles. Not bad. But then after dinner, I go into the bedroom I use for my home office and plop myself on the exercise bike and watch the news. It’s such a simple habit to get into.