Obesity In Missouri: New Maps Show It's On The Rise

MISSOURI — The CDC released new maps this week showing the prevalence of obesity in America. In 2017, seven states reported an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent and the CDC said adult obesity across the country “remains high.”

Adult obesity also differs by race, ethnicity and education, the CDC notes. According to the data, adults without a high school degree had the highest prevalence of obesity at 35.6 percent while college graduates had the lowest prevalence of obesity at 22.7 percent. Discussing the disparities in adult obesity based on race, the CDC said black Americans had a 39 percent prevalence of obesity, hispanics had a 32.4 percent prevalence while white Americans had the lowest obesity prevalence at 29.3 percent.

In Missouri, the obesity rate was over 30 percent, according to the CDC — one of the highest in the nation, but not quite as bad as Alabama, Arkansas or five other states with obesity rates over 35 percent. Five years ago, officials said, no states had obesity rates that high — a disturbing trend.

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In 2018, no state had less than 20 percent of adults with obesity. Colorado boasted the lowest rate: 22.6 percent. West Virginia, the highest: 38.1 percent. Obesity prevalence was highest in the South and the Midwest and lowest in the Northeast and the West.

The data comes from an ongoing telephone survey conducted by the CDC and state health officials. The CDC also says the adult obesity data is self-reported.

“Adults with obesity are at an increased risk for many serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, poorer mental health, and more,” the CDC says. “Children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity. Obesity costs the United States health care system over $147 billion a year. In addition, research has shown that obesity affects work productivity and military readiness.”

Read more via the CDC.

Photo Credit: Map via CDC