Not a single state decreased its obesity rate last year
Depressing new statistics show that not one state was able to decrease its obesity rate in 2013.
A report from Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based on government data, found that obesity rates increased in six states and decreased in none. From 2011 to 2012, meanwhile, the obesity rate increased in just one state.
The report found that in 2013, the rate of adult obesity was higher than 20 percent in every state, and 42 states had obesity rates above 25 percent. In 2013, the obesity rates of adults increased in Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennesee, and Wyoming. Childhood obesity rates have generally "leveled off," Reuters reports, with one in three two- to 19-year-olds either overweight or obese.
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Baby boomers were particularly at risk, with the highest obesity rates of any age group. The obesity rate of baby boomers topped 35 percent in 17 states and topped 30 percent in a whopping 41 states, which is particularly concerning because of Medicare cost increases and the quality of life for seniors.
"Obesity rates are unacceptably high, and the disparities in rates are profoundly troubling," Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, told Reuters.
For a breakdown of obesity rates by state, as well as the obesity rates of different ethnicities, check out this CDC report.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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