Obesity Report 2011

Adult obesity rates climbed in 16 states during the past year and now exceed 30 percent in 12 states, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011.

For the first time, this year’s report examined how the obesity epidemic has grown over the past two decades:

• Twenty years ago, no state had an adult obesity rate above 15 percent. Today, more than two out of three states, 38 total, have rates over 25 percent, and just one state has a rate lower than 20 percent.
• Since 1995, when data first became available for every state, obesity rates have doubled in seven states and increased by at least 90 percent in 10 others.

The report also highlights troubling racial and ethnic disparities in adult obesity rates:

• Adult obesity rates for Blacks were above 30 percent in 42 states and D.C. The same was true among Latinos in 23 states.
• Only four states had an adult obesity rate over 30 percent among Whites. 

If there is a glimmer of hope, it comes when you look at this year’s report in context with earlier editions. Back in 2006, RWJF and TFAH began looking at which states experienced statistically significant increases in adult obesity rates over the prior year.

• From 2006 through 2008, there were more than 30 states each year that saw increased rates from the prior year.
• Over the next two years, the number of states experiencing increases was in the twenties.
• This is the first time since the report started tracking year-to-year increases that fewer than 20 states had higher adult obesity rates.

--Be Our Voice & NICQ