Two more states, Iowa and Oklahoma, joined the list of states where adult obesity rates are 35 percent or higher, said the annual State of Obesity report on Wednesday. In every U.S. state, at least 1 in 5 adults is obese, and in seven — Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia, along with Iowa and Oklahoma — the rate exceeds 1 in 3.
“Over the past five years … 31 states had statistically significant increases in their obesity rate, and no state had a statistically significant decrease in its obesity rate,” said the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which jointly produced the report. “Obesity is a complex and often intractable problem,” said Trust chief executive John Auerbach. “The good news is that there is growing evidence that certain prevention programs can reverse these trends.”
The report made 40 recommendations for government officials, the food industry, and the healthcare system, including strong nutrition standards for school meals, strengthening SNAP and WIC, and ensuring 60 minutes a day of physical activity for all school students.
Colorado has the lowest rate of adult obesity, at 22.6 percent, and West Virginia has the highest, at 38.1 percent, according to the report.