Obesity rates nearly double in 16 U.S. states over just two years

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The obesity rates have nearly doubled in 16 U.S. states and at 35%, that’s more than ever before, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report, State of Obesity 2021: Better Policies for a Healthier America, published in Trust for America’s Health, which released a report analyzing the responses from a survey conducted by the CDC and state health departments.

Obesity increased during the pandemic as the pressure mounted for people in ways like never before – from job loss, reduced physical activity, higher rates of food insecurity and changes in eating habits.

“Stress is the No. 1 cause we see for a shift in weight,” said Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician and scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

“We definitely had a change in our physical activity but we also saw a change in maybe what we craved,” she explained.

“Your cravings for food change when you undergo stress.”

Race and ethnicity also played a factor. The CDC reported persistent disparities, as Black residents in 35 states had obesity rates of 35% or more. More than one-third of Hispanics in 22 states are overweight, while white residents in a mere seven states were at 35 per cent.

“That really correlates with what we know about the stress associated with experiencing every day or a lifetime of racism,” Stanford said.

Researchers also found that the lower a person’s education level is, the higher the obesity rate.

Individuals with a high school degree had an obesity rate of 38.8% compared to 34% of adults with a high school degree, 34.1% of adults with some post-secondary schooling, and 25% for college graduates.

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Middle-aged adults – the 45-to-54 group – were about twice as likely to be dangerously overweight with a rate of 38.1% versus young adults ages 18 to 24 who boasted a 19.5% rate.

Experts say the CDC figures are an alarming trend since obesity is linked to many severe chronic health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and various types of cancer.

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia are the states with the higher obesity rates.

Mississippi had the worst rate, by far, at 39.7% while Colorado was the best of the worst at 24.2%.