Missouri in top 9 states for obesity--and our car-dependence seems to be one reason

Streetsblog does an excellent job summarizing recent research showing how much obesity is growing in the U.S.--and waistlines in Missouri seem to be growing even faster than the national average, as we've finally made our way into the Top Ten most obese states:

Two reports released last week underscored the increasing severity of America's obesity epidemic. And the eye-opening findings add to the mounting evidence that stopping the spread of obesity and its attendant health risks will require changes to the nation’s transportation system as surely as it demands altering our diets.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday showed the number of obese Americans has increased by 2.4 million since 2007. There are now nine states where more than 30 percent of the population qualifies as obese -- up from three states in 2007. (Just ten years ago, no state had obesity levels above 30 percent). 

The following day, Gallup released a ranking of the nation’s most and least obese states as part of a broader index of well-being. By its accounting, a cluster of states in the southeast -- West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, and South Carolina -- have the highest rates of obesity, while the thinnest states, mainly in the west and New England, tend to have obesity rates about ten percentage points lower.

How to some states keep their obesity rates much, much lower?

Colorado and the District of Columbia are the only states with obesity rates under 20 percent, making their rate nearly 15 points lower than the most obese states. Their secret? During a press briefing, the CDC's Bill Dietz speculated that Colorado’s investment in biking and walking trails, as well as District residents' frequent use of public transportation, which goes hand in hand with walking and thus burns more calories than driving, are possible factors.