The obesity rate across the United States is stabilizing, but remains high. More than a third of American adults are obese, according to a report byTrust for America’s Health.
Obesity is more than just a health problem. It’s also an economic issue, and obesity is one of the biggest drivers of health-care spending in the country. One study found that the lifetime health-care costs for an obese person are on average $92,235 morethan the costs for a person of normal weight.
The 10 states with highest obesity rates:
1) Arkansas
2014 Adult Obesity rate: 35.9 percent
2013 High School obesity rate: 20 percent
2014 Adult Diabetes rate: 12.7 percent
2) West Virginia
2014 adult obesity rate: 35.7 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 15.6 percent
2014 adult diabetes rate: 14.1 percent
3) Mississippi
2014 adult obesity rate: 35.5 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 15.4 percent
2014 adult diabetes rate: 13 percent
4) Louisiana
2014 adult obesity rate: 34.9 percent
2013 High school obesity rate: 13.5 percent
2014 adult diabetes rate: 11.3 percent
5) Alabama
2014 adult obesity rate: 33.5 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 17.1 percent
2014 adult diabetes rate: 12.9 percent
6) Okalahoma
2014 adult obesity rate: 33 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 11.8 percent
2014 diabetes rate: 12 percent
7. Indiana
2014 adult obesity rate: 32.7 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: n/a
2014 diabetes rate: 10.7 percent
8) Ohio
2014 adult obesity rate: 32.6 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 13 percent
2014 diabetes rate: 11.7 percent
9) North Dakota
2014 adult obesity rate: 32.2 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 13/5 percent
2014 diabetes rate: 8.6 percent
10) South Carolina
2014 adult obesity rate: 32.1 percent
2013 high school obesity rate: 13.9 percent
2014 adult diabetes rate: 12 percent
More than 9 percent of the country’s population, or 29 million Americans, have diabetes.
A 2014 analysis prepared for The Fiscal Times by Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight & Wellness at George Washington University, put the total cost of obesity — including medical services, decreased productivity and disability payments — at more than $300 billion a year.
Those costs are likely to rise as the country ages, since obese people have higher rates of disability and illnesses as they get older. In addition to heart disease and stroke, obesity has been linked to higher rates of dementia and some cancers.
The extent of the problem varies greatly by state. Obesity rates exceed 35 percent in Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi, and are above 30 percent in 22 states. Colorado has the country’s lowest obesity rate (21.3 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (21.7 percent) and Hawaii (22.1 percent).
thefiscaltimes.com
