Does Your State Have the Highest Obesity Rate in the Country?

This article first appeared in Men’s Health
By Melissa Matthews

Obesity rates top 35% in 7 states, according to a new report.
With all the keto talk, smoothie bowls, and calorie labels cropping up on fast food menus, you might think our country’s notoriously high obesity rates were on the decline.

You’d be wrong: Obesity rates have climbed again, according to a report published by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, two nonprofit health policy organizations. The report identified seven states with obesity rates above 35 percent in 2017 — an increase from 2016, which saw five states with obesity rates above 35 percent.
These are the states with the highest obesity rates in the country:

West Virginia (38.1 percent)
Mississippi (37.1 percent)
Oklahoma (36.5 percent)
Iowa (36.4 percent)
Alabama (36.3 percent)
Louisiana (36.2 percent)
Arkansas (35 percent)

These are the states with the lowest obesity rates in the country:

Colorado (22.6 percent)
District of Columbia (23 percent)
Hawaii (23.8 percent)
California (25.1 percent)
Montana and Utah (25.3 percent)

The report notes that African American, latino, and rural communities are more likely to be obese. Public health experts believe limited access to healthy food and places to exercise could be two major reasons this occurs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No state experienced decline in obesity rates, according to the report. In fact, at least one in five adults in every state are now obese. Aside from causing health problems like heart disease and diabetes, obesity is expensive.

“Obesity is a complex and often intractable problem and America’s obesity epidemic continues to have serious health and cost consequences for individuals, their families and our nation,” John Auerbach, president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, said in a statement.

According to their estimates, people spend $149 billion in direct healthcare costs — expenses like medication and medical testing — on obesity-related health problems.

Although losing weight is difficult, even dropping a few extra pounds can help. People who are overweight or obese can improve their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar just by losing 5 to 10 percent of their total body weight, according to the CDC. The best way to lose weight is by making changes that you can sustain.

“A healthier type of diet is something you can do every day of your life,” Andy Yurechko, MS, RD, of Augusta University Medical Center in Georgia, previously told MensHealth.com.

Start small by eliminating fast food and sodas, and incorporating fruits and vegetables into every meal.