A new report shows adult obesity rates rose in 16 states and did not decline in any state in the past year, according to a release the Trust for America's Health.
The report, cosponsored by the Trust and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also noted the following findings:
- Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent, compared with only one state four years ago.
- Nine of the 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates were in the South, and Mississippi had the highest adult obesity rate for the seventh year in a row.
- Obesity rates have doubled in seven states and increased by at least 90 percent in 10 others since 1995.
- Nearly 33 percent of adults who did not graduate high school are obese, compared with 21.5 percent of those who graduated from college or technical college.
- More than 33 percent of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year were obese, compared with 24.6 percent of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.
Read the Trust for America's Health release on obesity.
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