Since 1990, the obesity rate among adults in Louisiana has skyrocketed from 12.3% to 34.9% as of last year, according to new figures in The State of Obesity report, which is released annually by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Just three states had a higher rate of obesity than Louisiana last year, the report says. Arkansas leads the nation in obesity, at 35.9%, followed by West Virginia (35.7%) and Mississippi (35.5%). Colorado had the lowest rate, at 21.3%.
U.S. adult obesity rates remained mostly steady—but high—this past year, increasing in Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah and remaining stable in the rest. Rates of obesity now exceed 30% in 22 states.
As reported earlier this year, Baton Rouge—also with a rate of 34.9%—was deemed the most obese city among the 100 largest in the nation by Gallup-Healthways.
The report released today shows the obesity rate of Louisianans aged 10 to 17 years old in 2011 was 21.1%, also fourth-highest in the nation. The report says 11.3% of adults in the state had diabetes last year, while 39.8% had hypertension. Both are commonly associated with obesity.
Obesity is a measure of body mass index, a commonly used measure that expresses the ratio of weight to height. Adults with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while those with a BMI exceeding 30 are considered obese.
See the complete State of Obesity report, or check out the figures specific to Louisiana.
—Steve Sanoski
