Americans growing even fatter: study

Americans are getting fatter and fatter, with the nation's obesity rate increasing in 31 mostly southern states, the group Trust for American Health reported this week.

"The epidemic obesity is getting worse," said Jeff Levi, the group's executive director, who has issued the organization's third report on the problem.

Levi blasted the government for failing to provide a global policy to handle the epidemic. "There is no strategic global policy. Quick fixes don't work," he said.

A full 27 per cent of the nation's health care costs are related to problems linked to obesity, Levi said.

Nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Childhood overweight rates have more than tripled from 1980 to 2004, from five to 17 per cent, according to the CDC.

The Trust for America's Health report showed that Mississippi was the heaviest state in nationwide rankings, with an adult obesity of 29.5 per cent. Second was another southern state, Alabama, followed by West Virginia.

Of the top 10 states for obesity, nine were southern and not surprisingly, these states also report the highest rates of diabetes and hypertension, two health problems associated with obesity, according to the report.

Colorado was the leanest state, with an adult obesity rate of 16.9 per cent.

Obesity rates remained the same in 18 states and in the US capital district, Washington. All states fail to meet the national goal of reducing adult obesity levels to 15 per cent or less by the year 2010.

Source: China Daily