Arkansas was the only state that saw an increase in its adult obesity rates this past year, according to a report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report said Arkansas’ adult obesity rate increased from 30.9 percent in 2011 to 34.5 percent in 2012 based on data released July of this year. That rates puts Arkansas third in the United States, behind only Louisiana (34.7) and Mississppi (34.6), the report said.
Arkansas is now one of 13 states with adult obesity rates greater than 30 percent. Arkansas is also third in the country for obesity rates amount adults aged 45-64 at 38.9 percent.
Arkansas ranked first in physically inactive adults (31.5 percent) and sixth in obese children aged 10-17 (20 percent). A physically inactive adult is one who has not done any exercise in the previous 30 days.
An adult is considered obese if his or her Body Mass Index is greater than 30. BMI is a measure of a person’s weight in relation to his or her height.
