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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
