Five states still seeing obesity rates on the rise

Wyoming had the 27th highest obesity rate in the United States for 2014, according to a report by The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The 12th annual “State of Obesity” report shows that there are larger regional and racial differences when it comes to obesity in America. Rates of obesity exceeded 35% in three states, were at or above 30% in 22 states, at or above 25% in 45 states and were not below 20% in any state. “This shift may be a short-term trend, but it’s a trend that we are watching closely and it’s encouraging”, she said.

Iowa has dropped a few spots in the ranking of the states for adult obesity rates. “But, we still haven’t invested enough to really tip the scales yet”.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, called the new report a “reminder that obesity is among the great urgencies of modern public health”.

Across the country, rates increased in five states: Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah. Rates rise from 30% of 20- to 39- year olds to almost 40% of 40- to 59-year-olds. But it also found, alarmingly, that by the time they’re 6 to 11 years old, 5 percent of children are already obese.

In Ohio, 11.7 percent of adults had diabetes a year ago , putting the state in the ninth-worst slot nationwide.

“We have an idea that we’re going to be ready to test soon, and depending on how that does, we’ll roll it out more broadly”, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a townhall Q&A at Facebook’s headquarters on Tuesday.

It also points out that “healthy communities” can help people lead healthy lives, arguing that small changes that make it easier and more affordable to buy healthy foods and beverages and be physically active can lead to big differences. Lower-income communities often face higher hurdles, and need more targeted efforts.

Getting adults to lose weight is hard , but Lang says even just maintaining weight can help.