Tweet
Mississippi, Connecticut At Opposite Ends Of Obesity Scale By MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press
July 18, 2008
ATLANTA —
Mississippi is the fattest state, while Connecticut is the second least obese, according to a new government survey.
The South tips the scales again as the nation's fattest region, with more than 30 percent of adults in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee considered obese. In part, experts blame Southern eating habits, poverty and demographic groups that have higher obesity rates.
Colorado was the least obese, with about 19 percent fitting that category in a random telephone survey done last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Connecticut ranked No. 2, with about 21 percent obesity, followed closely by Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The 2007 findings are similar to results from the same survey the three previous years. The South has had high death rates from heart disease and stroke, health risks that have been linked to obesity, some experts noted.
The CDC study only surveyed adults, but results for kids are similar, said Dr. Miriam Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.
"Most of the studies of obesity and children show the South has the highest rates as well," Vos said.
Why is the South so heavy? The traditional Southern diet — high in fat and fried food — may be part of the answer, said Dr. William Dietz, who heads CDC's nutrition, physical activity and obesity division.
The South also has a large concentration of rural residents and black women — two groups that tend to have higher obesity rates, he said.
High poverty rates in the South probably are another factor, said Naa Oyo Kwate, assistant professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
In today's America, poor people tend to be obese: The cheapest foods tend to be calorie-heavy, and stores offering healthier, and more expensive, food choices are not often found in poor neighborhoods, she said.
And why is Colorado so thin? It's a state with a reputation for exercise. It has plentiful biking and hiking trails, and an elevation that causes the body to labor a bit more, Dietz said.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
July 18, 2008
ATLANTA —
Mississippi is the fattest state, while Connecticut is the second least obese, according to a new government survey.
The South tips the scales again as the nation's fattest region, with more than 30 percent of adults in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee considered obese. In part, experts blame Southern eating habits, poverty and demographic groups that have higher obesity rates.
Colorado was the least obese, with about 19 percent fitting that category in a random telephone survey done last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Connecticut ranked No. 2, with about 21 percent obesity, followed closely by Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The 2007 findings are similar to results from the same survey the three previous years. The South has had high death rates from heart disease and stroke, health risks that have been linked to obesity, some experts noted.
The CDC study only surveyed adults, but results for kids are similar, said Dr. Miriam Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.
"Most of the studies of obesity and children show the South has the highest rates as well," Vos said.
Why is the South so heavy? The traditional Southern diet — high in fat and fried food — may be part of the answer, said Dr. William Dietz, who heads CDC's nutrition, physical activity and obesity division.
The South also has a large concentration of rural residents and black women — two groups that tend to have higher obesity rates, he said.
High poverty rates in the South probably are another factor, said Naa Oyo Kwate, assistant professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
In today's America, poor people tend to be obese: The cheapest foods tend to be calorie-heavy, and stores offering healthier, and more expensive, food choices are not often found in poor neighborhoods, she said.
And why is Colorado so thin? It's a state with a reputation for exercise. It has plentiful biking and hiking trails, and an elevation that causes the body to labor a bit more, Dietz said.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.