America’s getting fatter. In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Now, all but one does.
The annual report by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health — aptly named “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America” — makes the point that the state that has the lowest obesity rate now — Colorado, with 19.8 percent of adults considered obese — would have had the highest rate in 1995.
Mississippi
Six of the states with the highest poverty rates also are in the top 10 for obesity, led by Mississippi, which has both the nation’s highest rate for poverty (20.2 percent) and adult obesity (34.4 percent).
Minnesota
Had the lowest rate of inactive adults, with 17.6 percent reporting they do not engage in physical activity.
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital has the highest rate of fruit and vegetable consumption at 32.1 percent, helping explain its second-from-the-bottom ranking in obesity rate (21.7 percent).
Colorado
Not only has the lowest obesity rate (19.8 percent), its hypertension rate (21.2 percent) is second-lowest and has seen no increase in 15 years.
Oregon
Eight of the states with the lowest rates of obese 10- to 17-year-olds are in the West, led by Oregon, where only 9.6 percent of children are obese.
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