Insights \ Health Hits

Just 20 years ago, no state had an obesity rate above 15 percent. Now, 38 states have obesity rates above 25 percent and some states--particularly those in the south--have rates above 30 percent, according to a new study on obesity in the United States.

Today, two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, with the epidemic disproportionately affecting the poor, people with less education and ethnic minorities, say researchers from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Some facts from the report:
• Mississippi had the highest obesity rate for the seventh straight year.

• Colorado was the only state with a rate under 20 percent.

• 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.

• Nearly a third of adults who did not graduate high school are obese, compared with 21.5 percent of those who graduated from college or technical college.

• Adult obesity rates for African Americans topped 40 percent in 15 states, 35 percent in 35 states, and 30 percent in 42 states and D.C.

• Rates of adult obesity among Latinos were above 35 percent in four states (Mississippi, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Texas) and at least 30 percent in 23 states.

• 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.

The report also recommended that policy makers increase funding for obesity prevention; improve school lunch standards and remove vending machines from schools; create a national physical activity plan; and restore funding for programs that address nutrition in child care settings and provide nutrition assistance like Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.

Ten Most Obese States

1. Mississippi: 34.4%
2. Alabama: 32.3%
3. West Virginia: 32.2%
4. Tennessee: 31.9%
5. Louisiana: 31.6%
6. Kentucky: 31.5%
7. Oklahoma: 31.4%
8. South Carolina: 30.9%
9. Arkansas: 30.6%
10. Michigan: 30.5%