Health News
Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the country at 34.9 percent, followed by Louisiana (33.4) and West Virginia (32.4). Twenty-six of the 30 states with the highest rates are in the Midwest and South.
- Kentucky Ranks Fifth In Obesity And Its High-schoolers Rank First
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Obesity and health problems go hand in hand, and Kentuckians are known for both. Kentucky now has the fifth highest adult obesity rate in the nation, up from ninth last year, and Kentucky's high-school students...
- Community-based Solutions To Childhood Obesity Show Signs Of Progress Elsewhere; Will Kentucky Pick Up On Them?
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News For decades, researchers reported with alarm the increasing trend of overweight children in America, with one in three kids on the way to developing Type 2 diabetes. Across the country, action has been taken to address...
- The World Is Getting Fatter, But Kentucky's Rate Of Obesity Is Two And A Half Times The World Rate
Take no solace from The Economist, which proclaims in its yearly analysis-and-prognostication issue that this is the year world leaders will take on worldwide obesity because, writes Charlotte Howard, "they will realize something must be done." So,...
- Report: Two-thirds Of Kentuckians Obese By 2030 If Trends Continue; Cost To Nation's Future Unquestionably High
Nearly two-thirds of adults in Kentucky will be obese by 2030 if rates continue to climb as they are now, an analysis reported Tuesday. The level of obesity, defined as being roughly 30 or more pounds overweight, is projected to reach 60.1 percent in...
- Kentucky Ranked Sixth In Nation For Obesity, Fourth In High Blood Pressure, Second For Diabetes
A new report shows 29.5 percent of Kentuckians are obese, sixth highest in the nation. The state ranked second in the nation for the highest percentage of diabetes, with 13.7 percent of Kentucky residents diagnosed with the disease, and fourth in...
Health News
Kentucky's obesity rate and ranking are better than last year, but the figures may not be truly comparable
The percentage of Kentucky adults who are obese is smaller than its was, but the state is still 10th in the country, according to a new, influential analysis by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report found 30.4 percent of Kentucky adults are obese, an improvement from last year's 31.5 percent and the state's sixth-place ranking. The numbers do not include the percentage of adults that are merely overweight.
The statistics are based on data collected through telephone surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The surveys this year included people who only have cell phones, not land lines. Such people tend to be younger, so officials warned about putting too much stock in comparing this year's ranking from last year, reports Barb Berggoetz for the Indianapolis Star.
"Obesity has contributed to a stunning rise in chronic disease rates and health care costs. It is one of the biggest health crises the country has ever faced," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health. "The good news is that we have a growing body of evidence and approaches that we know can help reduce obesity, improve nutrition and increase physical activity based on making healthier choices easier for Americans. The bad news is we're not investing anywhere near what we need to in order to bend the obesity curve and see the returns in terms of health and savings."
In 2006, obesity-related medical costs were $147 billion or the equivalent of 10 percent of total medical spending, a 2011 study in Health Affairs found. Most of it is spent on treating diseases related to obesity, like diabetes.
In 2006, obesity-related medical costs were $147 billion or the equivalent of 10 percent of total medical spending, a 2011 study in Health Affairs found. Most of it is spent on treating diseases related to obesity, like diabetes.
The ranking is the first part of the 2012 "F as in Fat" report, which analyzes state obesity rates and efforts to address the problem. It will be released in full in September. For the first time, the report will include forecasts about obesity rates in 2030 in each state. It will also look at the potential impact of a 5-percent reduction in body mass indices. (Read more)
- Kentucky Ranks Fifth In Obesity And Its High-schoolers Rank First
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Obesity and health problems go hand in hand, and Kentuckians are known for both. Kentucky now has the fifth highest adult obesity rate in the nation, up from ninth last year, and Kentucky's high-school students...
- Community-based Solutions To Childhood Obesity Show Signs Of Progress Elsewhere; Will Kentucky Pick Up On Them?
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News For decades, researchers reported with alarm the increasing trend of overweight children in America, with one in three kids on the way to developing Type 2 diabetes. Across the country, action has been taken to address...
- The World Is Getting Fatter, But Kentucky's Rate Of Obesity Is Two And A Half Times The World Rate
Take no solace from The Economist, which proclaims in its yearly analysis-and-prognostication issue that this is the year world leaders will take on worldwide obesity because, writes Charlotte Howard, "they will realize something must be done." So,...
- Report: Two-thirds Of Kentuckians Obese By 2030 If Trends Continue; Cost To Nation's Future Unquestionably High
Nearly two-thirds of adults in Kentucky will be obese by 2030 if rates continue to climb as they are now, an analysis reported Tuesday. The level of obesity, defined as being roughly 30 or more pounds overweight, is projected to reach 60.1 percent in...
- Kentucky Ranked Sixth In Nation For Obesity, Fourth In High Blood Pressure, Second For Diabetes
A new report shows 29.5 percent of Kentuckians are obese, sixth highest in the nation. The state ranked second in the nation for the highest percentage of diabetes, with 13.7 percent of Kentucky residents diagnosed with the disease, and fourth in...