Weighing the risks: Obesity growing in nearly every state

Missouri's obesity rate is 23.9 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent.

Like a lot of people, the nation's weight problem is settling below its waistline. The states with the highest percentages of obese adults are mostly in the South: Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee.

In the entire nation, only Oregon isn't getting fatter.

Some 22.7 percent of American adults were obese in the 2002-2004 period, up slightly from 22 percent for 2001-2003, says the advocacy group Trust for America's Health, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Missouri's obesity rate is 23.9 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent.

Alabama had the biggest increase. There, the obesity rate increased 1.5 percentage points to 27.7 percent.

Eight states came in under 20 percent: Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Montana, Utah and New Hampshire. But their figures were all rising. Oregon held steady at 21 percent.

Hawaii was not included in the group's report Tuesday.

While certain regions of the country fared worse than others, particularly the Southeast, the organization said that no state met the federal government's goal of a 15 percent obesity rate for adults by 2010.

An adult with a body mass index of 30 or more is considered obese. The equation used to figure body mass index is body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. The measurement is not a good indicator of obesity for muscular people who exercise a lot.

"Bulging waistlines are growing and it's going to cost taxpayers more dollars regardless of where you live," said Shelley Hearne, the organization's executive director.

Why the geographic patterns? Experts don't have any one clear answer. Some suggest that urban sprawl plays a role. Others say it's easier to find a burger and fries than apples and asparagus in poor communities.

Dr. Delia West, a professor of public health in Arkansas, said demographics play a part. The South has a larger percentage of minorities, who have shown an increased risk for obesity. She said Southerners also tend to lead a more sedentary lifestyle than their counterparts in states such as Colorado or Oregon. People will find fewer jogging trails in Little Rock than in Denver, she said.

Also, the Southern diet probably plays a role, said West, a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

"We know the difference between purple hulled peas and speckled butter beans," she said. "But we make them with bacon fat or salt pork, so even though we're getting the micronutrients, it often comes laden with these extra calories."

Hearne said the United States is stuck in a "debate limbo" about how to confront obesity. She urged government action on several fronts, such as ensuring that land use plans promote physical activity, that school lunch programs serve more healthful meals, and that Medicaid recipients get access to subsidized fitness programs, such as aerobics classes at the local YMCA.

Jane Wernsman with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center said that a community health assessment completed a few months ago show that there's also an obesity problem among children.

The assessment found that local children enrolled in the WIC program, ages birth to 5 years old, are more obese than the state average. In 2000, 7.5 percent of those children in this area were obese. That number dropped to 6.8 in 2002, but is still below the state average of 5.1 percent.

But she wasn't surprised that there is weight gain across the board.

It's a combination of different factors: Portion control, eating fast-food and a decrease in exercise.

She said that the county doesn't sponsor any weight-reduction programs, but said that both local hospitals do.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, recognizes the dire trend, according to Deborah Markenson, administrator for chronic disease prevention and health promotion.

She said the state is looking at implementing a strategic plan to address the problem. The plan intends to increase healthy lifestyles and adding supportive programs for those who are overweight.

Staff writer Scott Moyers contributed to this report.