CDC: 20% of people in each state are obese
New CDC data breaks down obesity by state with Mississippi the heaviest.
A new CDC study highlighting the scale of America's obesity epidemic shows that at least 20 percent of people in every state are obese.
The 2011 map, which is based on a continous wide-ranging series of surveys shows that obesity is most prevalent in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Lousiana, Michigan, Missisipi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
"Overall the obesity rate remains high, and it shows that more concerted efforts need to be invested in by states to make healthy choices available," said Heidi Blanck, of the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC, reported Bloomberg Businessweek.
According to Medpagetoday.com, the CDC data shows that the state with the highest obesity rate is Missisippi, where 34.9 percent of all people are obese, and Colorado, where 20.7 percent of people are obese.
According to Wired, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention based the map with data gathered through a project called the BRFSS or Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The CDC warns, however, that this year's data cannot be compared with other years as the methodology is different. For the first time, households with only cell phones were included.
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