Is your condition one of the "most obese" of America?

THURSDAY, September 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) – The number of US states with adult obesity rates in excess of 35% has reached an all-time high of nine in 2018, says a new report.

In 2018, the nine states with adult obesity rates greater than 35% were: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and West Virginia. .

This is two more than the previous year. In 2012, no state exceeded 35%, according to the report. He also pointed to statistically significant increases in obesity rates among adults in 33 states between 2013 and 2018.

"These latest data show that our national obesity crisis is worsening," said John Auerbach, chairman and CEO of Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the non-profit group at The origin of the 16th annual "State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America." report.

The report showed considerable variation from one state to the other. The five countries with the highest rates are Mississippi and West Virginia (39.5%), Arkansas (37.1%), Louisiana (36.8%) and Kentucky (36.6%). %).

The lowest rates of obesity were observed in Colorado (23%), the District of Columbia (24.7%), Hawaii (24.9%), as well as in Massachusetts and New Jersey ( 25.7%).

"Nearly 50 years after the beginning of the rising curve of obesity rates, we have not yet found the right combination of programs to curb the epidemic," Auerbach said in a statement. published by the TFAH.

"Isolated programs and calls for lifestyle changes are not enough, but our report points to the fundamental changes needed in the social and economic conditions that make it difficult for people to eat healthy foods and get enough food to eat. exercise, "he added.

Obesity increases the risk of serious health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and many cancers.

It also increases health care spending in the United States by about $ 149 million a year, about half of which is funded by Medicare and Medicaid. And overweight is the most common reason why young adults are not eligible for military service, according to TFAH.

The people most at risk of obesity are low-income people and people of color. They are more likely to live in areas where it is difficult to find healthy foods, where opportunities for physical activity are scarce and where the marketing of unhealthy foods is widespread, the report said.