Poor states among the fattest, survey finds

[THE BOUNCER]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...TY.xml&src=rss

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia have the highest percentages of obese residents, while Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii and Vermont have the lowest, the government reported on Thursday.

The survey of 300,000 adults by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that overall, 60.5 percent of Americans were overweight, 23.9 percent were obese, and 3 percent were extremely obese.

Obesity was as common in men as in women -- 24 percent in both. Among ethnic groups, non-Hispanic blacks had the highest rates, with just under 34 percent of those surveyed considered obese, according to the survey known as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The overall obesity rate of 23.9 percent is up from 15.6 percent in 1995 and 19.8 percent in 2000, the CDC said. The report can be found at http://www.cdc.gov.

But the rate is significantly lower than the one in another government survey, called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, which found that 32 percent of U.S. adults were obese in 2004.

The latest survey relied on people's estimates of their height and weight to calculate whether they are overweight or obese, while the NHANES measured and weighed people.

Experts say both kinds of survey are important for comparing state-to-state data and differences among ethnic groups.

The CDC survey found that Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia had obesity rates of 30 percent or more, while Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Vermont boasted rates of less than 17 percent.

According to the Health and Human Services Department, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia are among the six poorest U.S. states, based on welfare need.

[NYCmitch25]

60.5 percent - overweight
23.9 percent - obese
3 percent - extremely obese

wow, sometimes I catch myself counting the number of fat ppl that walk by when im just sitting somewhere. I even see ectomorphs overweight.

[Chadd77]

Originally Posted by NYCmitch25

wow, sometimes I catch myself counting the number of fat ppl that walk by when im just sitting somewhere. I even see ectomorphs overweight.

The skinny fat guys???? Haha! Skinny guy with the fat belly. Damn, I just don't understand how people can not care about their appearance.

[rado]

Originally Posted by Chadd77

The skinny fat guys???? Haha! Skinny guy with the fat belly. Damn, I just don't understand how people can not care about their appearance.

Ditto.

You don't have to be all model material and shit. But people should be more health oriented these days. Walk, run, do weights at least twice a week.

[THE BOUNCER]

Ya it is crazy. It seems like almost everyone is fat these days. I wonder what it will be like in 50 years...

[rado]

Originally Posted by THE BOUNCER

Ya it is crazy. It seems like almost everyone is fat these days. I wonder what it will be like in 50 years...

Don't even want to know what it will be like...What I find quite disturbing is how much fast food, soda drinking, smoking, drug habit, liquor, people do these days. Then once they're too fat, they decide to shape up; WRONG!

That's when it's the hardest to do, once you're a blimp. Bouncer, how long have you been a pudge muffin? Tell the truth You like cakes and donuts right? Tell us how you do it man.

[meat12]

Originally Posted by rado

Bouncer, how long have you been a pudge muffin? Tell the truth You like cakes and donuts right? Tell us how you do it man.

:laughnew: