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In 2022, at least 35% of adults in 22 states were obese. Ten years ago, no state had an adult obesity rate higher than 35%.
CNN
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Obesity is becoming more common in more and more states, according to new data From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By 2022, 22 states will have at least a 35% obesity rate among adults, up from 19 states in 2021. Ten years ago, no state had an adult obesity rate above 35%, according to the CDC.
The new data shows the prevalence was highest in Louisiana, Oklahoma and West Virginia, where more than 40% of adults are obese.
Overall, prevalence was highest in the Midwest and South, where approximately 36% of adults were obese. In the Northeast and West, about 30% of adults will be obese by 2022.
The data comes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a survey conducted by the CDC and state health departments. Adults were considered obese if their BMI was at least 30, based on self-reported measurements of height and weight.
New data released Thursday found “significant differences” in the prevalence of obesity by race and ethnicity.
At least 35% of black adults in 38 states were obese, as were American Indian adults in 33 states and Hispanic adults in 32 states. Obesity rates among Asian adults did not exceed 35% in any state, and only 14 states reached that metric among white adults.
Obesity rates are lowest among young adults, with approximately one in five people between the ages of 18 and 24 thought to be obese. Adults ages 45 to 54 are about twice as likely to be affected, with about 2 in 5 people affected, according to CDC data. As the level of education increased, the prevalence of obesity also decreased.
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“Our updated map sends a clear message that additional support for obesity prevention and treatment is an urgent priority. , a disease caused by many factors, including certain medications, which means there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” Karen Hacker, Ph.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said in a statement. Ta.
“But key strategies that work include addressing the underlying social determinants of health, such as access to health care, healthy and affordable food, and safe spaces for physical activity. I understand.”