This year's state-by-state obesity statistics are in, and the news isn't good.Here are some of the highlights of the report, published by the research group Trust for America's Health:
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year
The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent, making it the fifth year in a row that the state topped the list.
Four states now have rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, Alabama (31.2 percent), West Virginia (31.1 percent), and Tennessee (30.2 percent).
Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of obese adults and the highest rates of obese and overweight children are in the South.
Colorado continued to have the lowest percentage of obese adults at 18.9 percent.
Adult obesity rates now exceed 25 percent in 31 states and exceed 20 percent in 49 states and Washington, D.C.
Two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight.
In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.
In 1980, the national average for adult obesity was 15 percent.
Sixteen states experienced an increase for the second year in a row, and 11 states experienced an increase for the third straight year.
Mississippi also had the highest rate of obese and overweight children (ages 10 to 17) at 44.4 percent.
Minnesota and Utah had the lowest rate at 23.1 percent.
Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.The report says that the economic downtown could worsen the obesity epidemic. Food prices are expected to keep rising as social services and food pantries are increasingly stretched thin. The recession is expected to lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety and stress--all of which are linked to obesity. Still, there was a bright side:
Nineteen states now have nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements. Five years ago, only four states had legislation requiring stricter standards.
Twenty-seven states have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales. Five years ago, only six states had nutritional standards for competitive foods.
Twenty states have passed requirements for body mass index (BMI) screenings of children and adolescents or have passed legislation requiring other forms of weight-related assessments in schools. Five years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.
A recent analysis commissioned by TFAH found that the Baby Boomer generation has a higher rate of obesity compared with previous generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, obesity-related costs to Medicare and Medicaid are likely to grow significantly because of the large number of people in this population and its high rate of obesity. And, as Baby Boomers become Medicare-eligible, the percentage of obese adults age 65 and older could increase significantly.
Estimates of the increase in percentage of obese adults range from 5.2 percent in New York to 16.3 percent in Alabama. Jeffrey Levi, the executive director of the group that published the survey, spoke to USA Today: "If we want kids to eat healthier food, we have to invest the money for school nutrition programs so that school lunches are healthier," he said. "If we want people to be more physically active, then there have to be safe places to be active.
That's not just a class issue.
We've designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk."It's not just a question of having the right resources. It's about taking advantage of them, as you do everyday, and making the most out of what you have.Many of us write on the Message Boards and in Teams that we face challenges every day of our healthy journeys.
Someone brought in doughnuts and you're tempted to ditch your oatmeal. You don't have time to work out today. Money is tight so you have to quit the gym. But you don't give up.
You don't complain.
You ask for help, you seek suggestions, and you take advice from other members.
And you succeed.
This report wasn't good news, no doubt about it. While we (as a nation) need to try harder, remember that in our little corner of the world (SparkPeople), we're succeeding, we're bucking the trend, and we're winning the battle against obesity, one SparkPoint and one pound at a time! So let's go out there and Spread the Spark!
How do you think we should address the obesity epidemic? How did your state fare? Is your state one of the "best" or one of the "worst"?Do you live in one of those communities without sidewalks?How do you think we, as SparkPeople members, can combat the obesity epidemic?
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