The nation is getting fatter according to a new study that found obesity rates climbing in six states, remaining steady in all of the rest, and ballooning among the aging Baby Boom population.
The survey from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health also found that despite first lady Michelle Obama’s best efforts, nearly one of three children and teens ages two to 19 is overweight or obese.
Overall, the report said that the fattest states are Mississippi and West Virginia, tied with a 35.1 percent obesity rate. The most fit state is Colorado, with a 21.3 percent obesity rate.
The details in “The State of Obesity” and the report’s accompanying interactive map are depressing:
— Adult obesity rates for blacks are at or above 40 percent in 11 states.
— Rates of adult obesity among Latinos exceeded 35 percent in five states and 30 percent in 23 states.
— Among whites, adult obesity rates topped 30 percent in 10 states.
— Nine out of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South.
— Baby boomers (45- to 64-year-olds) have the highest obesity rates of any age group – topping 35 percent in 17 states and 30 percent in 41 states.
— More than one in 10 children become obese between the ages of two and five.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
