Posted on 08/23/2005 5:38:17 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
AMERICANS are getting fatter in every state, with the exception of Oregon, and those living in the southeast are the most likely to be obese, according to a report issued today.
Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity, with 29.5 per cent of adults classified as obese in 2004. In Colorado, the slimmest state, just 16 per cent of adults are obese, the Trust for America's Health found.
Oregon's rate of 21 per cent was unchanged.
"We have a crisis of poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the US and it's time we dealt with it," said Shelley Hearne, executive director of the group.
An estimated 119 million Americans, or 64.5 per cent, of adults are either overweight or obese and the rate has been rising steadily every year. The percentage of obese adults rose from 23.7 per cent in 2003 to 24.5 per cent in 2004.
More than 25 per cent of adults in 10 states are obese, including in Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and South Carolina, the survey found.
Experts agree the problem is difficult to solve.
Americans are surrounded by rich and tasty food, do not need to exercise as part of daily life and have many sedentary pursuits such as watching television and using the computer.
The nonprofit group's report said federal obesity programs are not yet extensive enough and found there are not enough local policies addressing community design issues, like sidewalks and suburban sprawl.
And school meal programs focus on getting the maximum calories into children, as opposed to balanced nutrition, the report found.
Another report released today offered one possible reason why more Americans are obese.
Dr Bryn Austin of the Children's Hospital Boston and colleagues found that fast-food restaurants in Chicago cluster themselves within a short walking distance of schools.
Writing in the American Journal of Public Health, the researchers found the nearest fast-food restaurant was half a kilometre away from half the city's schools, or just over a 5 minute walk.
Seventy-eight per cent of schools had at least one fast-food restaurant within just under one kilometre.
"Our cities are saturated with fast-food purveyors. Now we are finding that the concentration of fast food is even worse in school neighbourhoods," Dr Austin said in a statement.
"This means that five days a week, we are sending our schoolchildren into environments where there is an abundance of high-calorie, low-nutritional-quality, inexpensive food."
In the same journal, Kristen Harrison of the University of Illinois and colleagues reported that convenience or fast foods and sweets made up 83 per cent of foods advertised during children's television programming.
how do they define obese?
Heading for a refill on chips and salsa now.
Just remind the food nazis that "it's my body, it's a personal choice". That's the line they most like to trot out.
Body mass index of over 30, probably. Which includes most in-shape football players and boxers, so the number is probably misleading. But there's no doubt there are a lot more heavy people out there even than there were when I was a teenager in the 90s.
Yes it is. But the problem is that many, myself included, have become accustomed to that.
And I hate leftovers...so eating out is a pain when I try to lose weight!
Clinton blames the NRA.
I'm not fat. (I could use about 10 pounds.) Why is EVERYONE else FAT? Maybe they EAT too much. Then again, how does logic address this issue of being FAT/OBEAST (sic)?
No soup for you.
Good website to check out is consumerfreedom.com
The solution was: EAT LESS. duh..
Congradulations. That's great news.
Anyone that looks like Teddy?
Used to enjoy driving by the local college and checking out the cuties going to class. Now it's yucko. Sorry folks, but 19 year old girls with rolls hanging over their hip huggers which are wrapped around butts that are twice the size of my wife's, just don't turn me on.
It's none of the socialist butinzkis business, that's for certain.
But it is getting ugly out there. Getting to be a cold, cruel world for us that like to appreciate an attractive woman.
There's still lots of cute chicks around!
I don't mind a *little* extra weight but you're right...it is getting out of hand! The college girls often have "beer bellies" too I notice.
Seems there are two extremes with women. Either they're 270 pounds...or their SO obsessed with weight they never eat anything but salad and tofu. What happened to the good old fashioned girl that ate REAL food...just in reasonable quantities...and looked good?
Eating less and counting calories is the way to go.
Is this based on that screwy Body Mass Index?
There is definitely a problem out there though. I have never seen so many FAT and I mean FAT kids at the public pools as I have seen in the past 3 years. It makes me lose my appetite when we go. But as a mom, it is a good reminder what NOT to buy and keep in the house for my kids.
Mmmmmm....
For some reason, you made me think of crispy and delicious onion rings. Why? I don't know. LOL
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