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Many of us have heard that Colorado consistently ranks as the state with the lowest obesity rate. According to the CDC, only 22.6% of the population is considered obese in 2017.
But do not congratulate yourself for the moment. An analysis of the Consumer Protect online journal – using CDC data – shows that the country's obesity rate has doubled since 1990, when 15% of the population had been classified as obese.
Now, the CDC estimates that 30.1% of American adults are obese, as determined by a BMI of 30 or higher. Thus, even though Colorado is the weakest, its obesity rate has further increased by 7.6% since 1990.
"Obesity is a complex social and personal problem, related to a variety of causes due to social and personal habits," says Michael Bennet, Editor-in-Chief of Consumer Protect. "We looked at some of the data showing where obesity is the highest in the country."
West Virginia, Mississippi and Oklahoma have the highest rates of obesity at 38.1%, 37.3% and 36.5% respectively. Colorado is the least obese state with 22.6% of the vote, while the District of Columbia is the second with 23% and Hawaii the third with 23.8%.
Life expectancy tends to parallel rates of obesity. According to data from the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, Mississippi has the lowest life expectancy rate at 74.7 years if you were born in 2015. Hawaii leads with 81.3 years, while Colorado ranks eighth with 80.2 years.
Consumer Protect has analyzed two habits that contribute most directly to obesity: exercise and diet. The CDC data showed which states were the ones that practiced the least amount of physical activity. Kentucky led the way with 34.4% of adults reporting that they did not participate in any type of exercise. Mississippi was again in the top three with 33.2% of non-exercising adults and Arkansas third at 32.5%.
The most active states are Washington (19.2%), Colorado (19.5%) and California (20%). It is perhaps not surprising that the most active states are known for their natural beauty and national parks. Alaska, Utah, Oregon and Vermont follow closely.
A healthy diet can be a little harder to record accurately because the definition of "healthy" can vary depending on who you ask for it and can be fulfilled by a variety of foods. Instead of a simple yes or no question, the CDC data indicate the percentage of adults who eat less than one fruit a day. Mississippi has the most unhealthy eating habits with nearly half of adults, 46.3%, reporting eating less than one fruit a day. Oklahoma is 45.8% and Louisiana is 45%.
In contrast, the healthiest consumers are Vermont (29.7%), New Hampshire (30.3%) and the District of Columbia (30.6%). Colorado comes in at 33%, making it the 13th state in health – also known as the 39th state in poor health, as evidenced by the rankings.
There is significant overlap between the ranking of obesity and exercise and diet. Almost all states with poor eating habits and poor nutrition rank high in the obesity index. Alaska, which is the 9th most obese state but the 4th in good exercise habits, is a notable exception.
But as a rule, obesity in America is composed of diet and exercise.
"The levels of obesity observed in West Virginia and the south of the country may soon be ubiquitous unless further action is taken," says Bennet.
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