The State of American Obesity

Have you heard? Washington, DC, is the third least obese “state.”

The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released its annual report on obesity this week.  According to the latest data, adult obesity rates increased in six states (Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wyoming) over the last year.  Mississippi and West Virginia have the highest rates of obesity at 35.1 percent, while Colorado has the lowest rate at 21.3 percent. The report further states,” Twenty states have rates at or above 30 percent, 43 states have rates of at least 25 percent and every state is above 20 percent.”  Obesity rates did not decline in a single state.

“Until we start moving more and think more about the quality of the food we’re eating, we’re not going to fully reverse this epidemic,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), in a press conference, reported TIME. He attributed the historic number to bad eating habits, lack of physical activity, fast-food chains, and scarcity of affordable nutritious foods in many areas.

The silver lining? While cheap sugary treats and lack of exercise still put kids at risk, especially those in the black and Latino communities, the prevalence of obesity among all American children has leveled off.  Last February, the CDC reported that childhood obesity rates in the U.S. dropped 43 percent from 2003 to 2012.

Do you prefer to work out with a friend in order to make fitness more fun?  Fitness for Health offers a one-hour, group exercise program utilizing exergaming fitness equipment which is cutting edge and state-of-the-art.  Call us at 301-2131-7138 to learn about our Tuesday/Thursday group program from 11am – 12pm.