WASHINGTON D.C. (KFSM) — A new study found that Arkansas had the highest adult obesity rate in America.
Arkansas leads the nation with a 35.9 percent adult obesity rate, according to the study “The State of Obesity:Better Policies for a Healthier America” by the Trust For America’s Health, which was released this month.
The state is closely followed by West Virginia at 35.7 percent and Mississippi at 35.5 percent. Colorado has the lowest statewide obesity rate for adults at 21.3 percent, the study found.
Nationally, more than 30 percent of adults, nearly 17 percent of 2 to 19 year olds and more than 8 percent of children ages 2 to 5 are obese. However, these rates differ by region, age and race.
Seven of the top 10 states with the highest obesity are in the south, and 23 of the top 25 states are in the South and Midwest.
At nearly 40 percent, obesity rates are highest in middle-age adults, and American Indian/Alaskan Natives have the highest adult obesity rate of any racial or ethnic group at 54 percent.
