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July 18th, 2008

Obesity Rates are Highest in the South

Health News posted 4 years ago by The Healia Team

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the Southern United States has some of the highest levels of obesity. Mississippi has had the highest obesity rate every year since 2004. Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Louisiana have also clustered near the top of the list.

Colorado was the least obese, with about 19 percent classified as obese. Colorado is a state with a reputation for outdoor exercise and many residents maintain a more active lifestyle.

The South is known for a traditional Southern diet that is high in fat and fried foods. This type of diet along with a sedentary lifestyle is likely the reason for their high obesity rates.

Overall, about 26 percent of the respondents were obese, according to the study, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A different CDC survey -- a project in which researchers actually weigh and measure survey respondents as opposed to conducting a telephone survey -- put the adult obesity rate at 34 percent in 2005 and 2006 (the most recent data available).

These are the 10 states with the highest levels of adult obesity, according to the CDC:

1. Mississippi, 32.0 percent
2. Alabama, 30.3
3. Tennessee, 30.1
4. Louisiana, 29.8
5. West Virginia, 29.5
6. Arkansas, 28.7
7. South Carolina, 28.4
8. Georgia, 28.2
9. Oklahoma, 28.1
10. Texas, 28.1

Obesity is based on body mass index, a calculation using height and weight. A 5-foot, 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds would have a BMI of 30, which is considered the threshold for obesity. Would you like more information about weight loss? Visit Healia Communities and join our Weight Management Community. Here, you can share stories with others or ask an expert a question about weight loss.