U.S. obesity rising in 28 states, with Mississippi number one

Washington - There may be a growing group of federally sponsored anti-obesity programs in place, but the number of obese adults in the U.S. is also continuing to skyrocket

A new report called "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future." released Tuesday by the nonprofit group, Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that obesity rates are up in 28 states from 2007 to 2009. Web-MD.com reports that 10 of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South, and Mississippi tops that list. Sweet southern cooking may be to blame, but doctors say it's a dangerous trend. The leanest state in the nation is Colorado, with Connecticut close behind. The study also found that the number of adults who admit they don't engage in any physical activity went up in 12 states in the past year. Ten of the 11 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South, and are also the states with the highest rates of hypertension. Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH, The Trust for America's Health, says

“Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges the country has ever faced, and troubling disparities exist based on race, ethnicity, region, and income. This report shows that the country has taken bold steps to address the obesity crisis in recent years, but the nation’s response has yet to fully match the magnitude of the problem.”

Levi, a professor of health policy at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, also says

“Millions of Americans still face barriers -- like the high cost of healthy foods and lack of access to safe places to be physically active -- that make healthy choices challenging.”

The study found that children and adolescents are also part of this rising obesity trend. More than 12 million children and adolescents are obese. The percentage of kids who engage in vigorous physical activity daily ranges from a low of 17.6% in Utah to a high of 38.5% in North Carolina. Medpage.com reports that the number of obese children has quadrupled and the number of obese adolescents and teens has tripled. The government deserves some credit for programs it has put in place over the past two years. President Obama initiated an Obesity Task Force, which aims to get the national childhood obesity rate from 17% to 5% by 2030. The First Lady launched her "Let's Move" campaign, touting the virtues of physical fitness and healthy eating. And, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is focused on preventing obesity by requiring chain restaurants to list calorie counts on menus. The PPACA also eliminates patient copays for annual wellness visits during which a doctor will measure a patient's BMI and discuss a fitness plan, and provides $15 billion in mandatory appropriations for public health and prevention programs over the next decade. Jim Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Foundation says,

"The continued increase in adult obesity rates means we need to do much more, nationally and locally, to make sure the effort matches the seriousness of the problem."

Some other findings of the report, poverty is closely linked to obesity. Six of the states with the highest poverty rates are also in the top 10 states with the highest obesity. Southern states are the most obese and have the highest hypertension rates. Racial minorities are disproportionately obese. Adult obesity rates among blacks are at 30% or above in 43 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 19 states for Latinos, and just one state for whites.