A new survey reveals the fattest and leanest States in the Union. And you might be surprised, especially about where your home place sits on the map. Chances are, more than 1 in three of you or the people you know are obese…
Overall skew toward chubby
Only 3 states – all in what we traditionally call the Old South – reported obesity rates of over 40 percent. A cluster 6 of the oldest members of the Union, in New England, plus California and and Hawaii came in at 25 to 30 percent And only 2, Oklahoma and District of Coloraado, came in at less than 25 percent. The rest – the vast majority – came in closely grouped between 30 and 40 percent obese.
Reliable figures
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “The data come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing state-based, telephone interview survey conducted by CDC and state health departments.”
The 2023 maps show that obesity impacts some groups more than others. There were notable dif-ferences by race and ethnicity (culture), as shown by combined data from 2021–2023…
Age
There were notable differences in the prevalence of obesity based on age:
- Young adults were half as likely to be obese as middle-aged adults.
- Adults aged 18–24 years had the lowest prevalence of obesity (19.5 percent)
- Adults aged 45–54 years had the highest (39.2 percent).
Culture
There were also notable differences based on race and ethnicity:
Among states, territories, or DC with enough data, the number with an obesity prevalence of 35 percent or higher was:
- Non-Hispanic Asian adults: 0 (among 38 states, 1 territory, and DC)
- Non-Hispanic White adults: 16 (among 47 states, 2 territories, and DC)
- Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults: 30 (among 45 states)
- Hispanic adults: 34 (among 47 states, 3 territories, and DC)
- Non-Hispanic Black adults: 38 (among 46 states, 1 territory, and DC)
Education
The prevalence of adult obesity decreased as education level increased:
- 36.5 percent of adults without a high school diploma or equivalent were obese.
- 34.7 percent of adults with a high school diploma or equivalent were obese.
- 35.7 percent of adults with some college education were obese.
- 27.1 percent of college graduates were obese.
My take
For anyone who’s been following the obesity ‘story over the past few years, there were no surprises in the 2023 figures. In fact, the surprise came in another report altogether, which we covered yesterday, that suggested obesity in the US has peaked, and even declined a little in the past three years.
Observers say those figures, which were marginal, might just be a statistical glitch. Then, again, they may mark the start of a unexpected positive trend…
~ Maggie J.