Aug 28, 2007 8:42 pm US/Eastern
Pennsylvania Ranks 23rd In Obesity Report
(KDKA)
Obesity rates are climbing in the United States including right here in Pennsylvania.
According to a new report, nearly a quarter of Pennsylvanians are considered obese. Statistics show that Pennsylvania ranks 23rd, where one in four people is obese.
A non-profit group put together the report based on telephone surveys from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, looking at 2003 through 2006.
"We have a larger older population here," says Dr. Goutham Rao, of Children's Hospital. "We have significant numbers of minorities in the eastern part of the state who have a propensity for obesity, as well. So it's not a surprising result."
Experts say obesity rates rose in 31 states, and no state showed a trend for weight loss.
Researchers report that Pennsylvania was among 19 states that did not have a notable increase over the past few years. But compared to a decade ago, the state's obesity rate has grown from 16 percent to 25 percent.
The worst states for obesity were Mississippi and West Virginia, while the best states were Colorado and Utah.
Some experts believe it's not something about the states themselves that make their residents heavy or healthy, but more the demographics of who lives there.
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