Alabama ranks third in obesity

SHELIA BYRD
Associated Press
Published: August 19, 2008

JACKSON, Miss.  — Mississippi is America’s fattest state for the third year in a row, and adult obesity rates across the nation are climbing steadily despite initiatives to combat the epidemic, a new report says.

Nationally, adult obesity rates rose in 37 states in the past year, according to the report released Tuesday by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The report recommends the federal government, industries and local organizations invest in community-based disease prevention programs and improve access to affordable nutritious foods.

“There’s a responsibility in all parts of society to really take on this issue,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health. “Some states and communities have taken positive steps but overall we are not treating the obesity epidemic with the seriousness it deserves.”

The report was based on data gathered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC sampled people in all states and calculated their body mass index from their 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.

The report said Mississippi’s adult obesity rate is 31.7 percent — the nation’s highest. It was followed by West Virginia with 30.6 percent; Alabama with 30.1 percent; Louisiana with 29.5 percent and South Carolina with 29.2 percent.

Colorado was the leanest state with a rate of 18.4 percent, followed by Hawaii with 20.7 percent and Connecticut with 20.8 percent.