Missouri Fares Poorly in New Obesity Study

Screenshot: healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/

​Missouri is the eleventh-most obese state in the nation, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The state's adult-obesity rate is 30.3%. Illinois has an adult-obesity rate of 27.7%, which ranks twenty-third.

Curiously, the two states flip-flop when it comes to the childhood-obesity rate. Missouri's rate is 13.6%, which ranks 31st, while Illinois scores 20.7%, fourth-highest in the nation.

Mississippi has the unfortunate distinction of ranking first in both adult and childhood obesity, 34.4% and 21.9% respectively.

The combined overweight-obesity rate in Missouri is 65.6%. That rate has increased nearly 13% over the past fifteen years. Illinois' numbers are similar, at 63.7%, which is also a nearly 13% increase from fifteen years ago.

Gut Check will be taking a long, long walk after lunch today.

(h/t: Reuters, via Eater)