Missouri is most obese state in the nation, according to new research
Missouri has never ranked well on the issue of obesity--according to CDC rankings, Missouri has ranked as around the 10th most obese state--not an enviable place to be. Researchers indicate the direct medical costs of obesity to Missourians will be over $8 billion per year by 2013.
But new research--based on actual scale weights of adults rather than their self-reported weight--shows that Missouri is actually the most obese state in the U.S. The KCStar writes:
But when the researchers crunched their own data, they found that 41.3 percent of these Midwesterners weighed in as obese, and the area was the nation’s heaviest. . . .
Using the CDC’s telephone survey data, the Alabama researchers ranked Missouri, with 27 percent obese, 17th among the states. But when scale weights were used, the obese population skyrocketed to 42.6 percent, giving the state the No. 1 ranking. Minnesota saw a similar change, rising from 19th place to second.
Alabama ranked No. 2 using the CDC data with 30.2 percent obese. But it plummeted to 13th place with 35 percent when scale weights were used.
The reasons for these differences?
“I can only speculate,” Howard said, but it may be cultural. People in the Midwest may be more self-conscious about their weight and reluctant to confess to the real number. Southerners may not feel as stigmatized by extra pounds.
Why Midwesterners may be so much heavier than people in other regions also leaves researchers speculating.
“I think a lot of people will try to explain this because it’s contrary to what we’ve thought for a long time,” Befort said.
Obesity rates may be related to the sizable rural population of the region. Obesity is more common in rural areas, Befort said. Attitudes about diet and exercise may also play a role.
“In the Midwest, the norms of exercising for fun are not the same as they are on the coasts,” she said. “We don’t have good bike lanes, trails, geographic points of interest, mountains or ocean.”
Rex Archer, director of the Kansas City Health Department, discovered as much when he moved here about 15 years ago from western Maryland, where skiing and mountain biking are regular activities. The first couple of times Archer took his bike out for a ride, he came close to being hit by cars. He gave up cycling. He also gained 90 pounds.
“It’s the culture that we’re in that is a major influence on obesity rates,” he said. “I’ve seen people go to the YMCA and troll the parking lot for the closest space.”
Do Missourians have access to safe places to walk, bicycle, and enjoy healthy outdoor recreation?
The lack of places to bike, walk, and enjoy healthy outdoor recreation is not a small problem Missouri, or one confined to urban, rural, or suburban areas only. It affects the entire state--though some communities are starting to make headway in becoming more bikable and walkable than others.
But recent data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services makes the situation very clear:
- 47.6% of Missourians report living in a neighborhood without a single sidewalk where they can walk
- Only 23.5% of Missourians report living in a community with bicycle lanes or shoulders
This situation is, to be quite frank, deplorable.
We urge Missouri elected leaders and public officials to work to make Missouri communities walkable and bikable.
Make bikeable and walkable communities a priority in every community and state plan, every budget, and on every road, bridge, and parks project.
Specifically:
- Every Missouri community, and the state as a whole, should adopt and embrace a Complete Streets policy.
- Every Missouri community, county, Regional Planning Commission, and the state as a whole should have a Pedestrian Plan, a Bicycle Plan, and a Trails Plan
- Every Missouri community should be working towards Bicycle Friendly Community status and Walk Friendly Community status
- Every road and bridge project in the state should be designed to safely accommodate people who walk and bicycle and to create connectivity for pedestrian, bicycle, and trails systems.
Using the CDC’s telephone survey data, the Alabama researchers ranked Missouri, with 27 percent obese, 17th among the states. But when scale weights were used, the obese population skyrocketed to 42.6 percent, giving the state the No. 1 ranking. Minnesota saw a similar change, rising from 19th place to second.
Alabama ranked No. 2 using the CDC data with 30.2 percent obese. But it plummeted to 13th place with 35 percent when scale weights were used.
The reasons for these differences?
“I can only speculate,” Howard said, but it may be cultural. People in the Midwest may be more self-conscious about their weight and reluctant to confess to the real number. Southerners may not feel as stigmatized by extra pounds.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/27/4205713/midwest-candor-about-obesity-fat.html#storylink=cpyRead more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/27/4205713/midwest-candor-about-obesity-fat.html#storylink=cpy
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