New Hampshire 15th Best In Nation In Adult Obesity Rate

The state with the highest rate of obesity was Arkansas at 35.9 percent, followed by West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. The map shows obesity rate disparities among communities in the City of Brotherly Love. The data was collected as part of the CDC’s Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System, a telephone survey of state health departments.

Areas with higher obesity rates tend to lack access to resources that promote a healthy lifestyle, such as as farmers markets, grocery stores and safe green spaces for recreation, according to Gupta.

Obesity is becoming far more common that in the past.

“Obesity is higher among middle-age adults, 40-59 years old (39.5 percent) than among younger adults, age 20-39 (30.3 percent) or adults over 60 or above (35.4 percent) adults”.

In 1990, Alabama had an obesity rate of about 12 percent.

Of those Kansans sharing their height and weight, 31.3 percent were obese, according to their body mass index compared with 30.2 percent of Missourians.

Nationwide, 29 million Americans live in food deserts, or areas where limited access to fresh produce can make healthy eating a challenge. They include high blood pressure, certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

The report from the Trust for America’s Health ranks New Hampshire as the 15th best in the nation and Maine as 19th best.

CNN reports Americans spend $146 billion on obesity related problems.