Waistlines Across America Continue to Grow

Obesity rates continue to increase across all 50 states, and eight of the top 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the south. Mississippi tops the list for the fifth consecutive year with the highest number of obese adults, with Alabama coming in second. As American’s waistlines continue to grow, so does concerns for higher health care costs. With the continued growth in obesity and health problems associated with the condition, the U.S. could be facing even greater issues than once expected with our health care system.

Over the last year, not a single state reported lower obesity rates than the previous year, and 23 of the states reported obesity rates in adults increased, based on two advocacy group reports; the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The two advocacy groups used data gathered over three years by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate the weight problem across the U.S. Based on the groups reports, children across America seem to be no exception to obesity, with 30 percent of American children in 30 states being either overweight or obese. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the U.S. since 1980.

For the fifth year in a row, Mississippi topped the list with 32.5 percent of its state population being obese and was the state with residents who were least likely to exercise, according to the report. Colorado, on the other end of the spectrum, had the most active residents and the lowest number of obese adults at 18.9 percent. However, even Colorado’s obesity rate has increased from 16.9 percent in 2006. Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee are some of the eight southern states that ranked in the top ten most obese states, with obesity rates over 30 percent. Colorado is the only state to have an obesity rate below 20 percent. In 1980, only 15 percent of the entire U.S. population was obese.

According to Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University School of Medicine Prevention Research Center, who was not involved with the report, “Throughout almost all of human history, calories have been relatively scarce and hard to get, and physical activity an unavoidable part of survival.” He added, “We have now devised a modern world in which physical activity is scarce and hard to get, and calories are unavoidable. We are the proverbial fish out of water, living in an environment totally at odds with our physiology.”

The U.S. spends billions of dollars each year on obesity-related health issues, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes and these costs continue to rise. For several years, there have been reports released, warning of the large increases in Medicare costs as baby boomers reach retirement. Based on the new report, there are even greater concerns since the baby boomers, those 55 to 64 years old, suffer from higher obesity rates. Dr. Jeff Levi, executive director for TFAH said, “Our health care costs have grown along with our waist lines.” He added, “The obesity epidemic is a big contributor to the skyrocketing health care costs in the U.S.”

Obesity continues to be a growing concern across the U.S. The new report expressed concerns with the current economic environment in the U.S. leading to increased numbers of obese individuals because of depression, anxiety, and stress. The authors call for increased community programs to help lower nutritional food costs and help to make them more accessible. The report encouraged local, state and federal governments to provide healthier foods in schools, encourage more physical activity in children, and to offer more workplace wellness programs. We Americans must pledge a war on obesity by eating healthier, exercising, encouraging our children to be more physically active and teaching them the importance of health eating.