Which areas in the U.S. have the highest obesity rates? CDC releases new report
CDC releases new figures on obesity and diabetes:
Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new figures in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that are the first to provide snapshots of obesity on a county level across the U.S.
Obesity and diabetes rates are higher in the Appalachian and Southern regions
According to this report, eighty-one percent of counties in the Appalachian region and three-quarters of counties in the southern region have high rates of diabetes and obesity. The Appalachian region includes Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia and the Southern region includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. There were also some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains that had high rates of diabetes and obesity.
Obesity and Diabetes Prevention:
Any efforts at preventing obesity and diabetes are well worth the time and cost as the CDC projects that people diagnosed with diabetes medical costs are 2.3 times higher than those without the disease.
If you have found yourself in this predicament and are overwhelmed with the thought of losing weight, take small steps:
Always consult with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program or diet.
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r091119c.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/
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Comments
Sadly, rates are spreading!
Not just obesity, but morbid obesity is becoming all too common; and people accept it as if it's OK now. Very sad.
An eye-opening report. Thank you.
It is interesting to note that football, especially college football, is tremendously popular in these countries which tie into some of your other articles.
Alabama, where I'm from, is the second fatest state, according to the CDC, just behind Mississippi. It has a lot to do with the notion that most everything has to be fried or covered in gravy. But it also has to do with lack of knowledge and lack of resources. A lot of people just don't know how to do anything about their plight. I'm posting this link on my local website.
I grew up in WV and lived many, many years in GA, MS, and TX...The report doesn't surprise me.
Thanks for the info.
These areas do have very high rates of obesity and diabetes. However, rates all over the country have risen and need to be addressed. We should focus efforts on teaching prevention. Making healthy choices in 4 main areas can be effective in preventing both diseases: nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep. For more information, see my book, "How To Eat Fried Chicken and Be Thin Too" on Amazon or at strategicbookpublishing.com
I think it's partly because these states - some of them, anyway - are poor. Poor people have a right to enjoy life, too, and I think that saucing up and frying things improves taste. It's a matter of chemistry that the "flavor is in the fat." Ask me -- I'm a chemist! Oh. I weight 260 lbs.
I have lived in both the northern states and southern states, and the south truly has better food. It only stands to reason that I would gain more weight while living in the sunny south.
Great information....maybe I should move back north?
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