Prevalence of Obesity
Obesity is the percentage of the population estimated to be obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. BMI is equal to your weight in pounds divided by your height in inches squared and then multiplied by 703. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides BMI calculators for both adults and children here.
Obesity is known to contribute to a variety of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and general poor health. The data are collected by each state as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System of the CDC.
The United Health Foundation has assembled a statistical chart illustrating the prevalence of obesity in America by state. The trend isn’t good. Blame who you want, but unless we alter our eating behavior, we’re all in deep trouble.
The graphic below, using data from the CDC, gives an alarming look at how we’re increasing our BMI as a population. Check to see how your state compares. Scary, isn’t it?
Doug
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Response: I'm not so worriedYes, there are some fat bastards out there ruining themselves. But not as many as some would have us believe, and some of the so-called experts are actively harming us with their obsession with standardized categories.
Reader Comments (5)
Well that is scary all right. Our country is hetting fatter and fatter. We have to stop eating fast food and over processed, ready to heat and eat frozen stuff etc or we will soon be so fat we can't work.
Wow! Is this all because of fast food and super-sized everything? We are in trouble!
We are so doomed as a society. At this rate we will explode by 2025.
It is true! The restaurants are plating enough food for 2 or 3. We can't finish it - some take it home, but some eat the whole thing. That's why we are gaining so much weight! My wife and I split 1 entree and still have to take hoe leftovers! It has gotten rediculous!
I blame fast food restaurants. They hooked us on high transfat as kids and now we all carry extra weight. I gave up all fast food restaurants last year and have lost 16 pounds so far. Just no fast foods. And I take the stairs and walk more but nothing else. Fast foods are even getting kids fat in China of all places, a country where everyone was skinny a decade ago. Now the kids are getting fat on Happy Meals. Give it up!