Adult obesity rates continued to rise in 31 states over the past year while government policy efforts have consistently failed to provide viable solutions to the growing obesity crisis, according to a new report from Trust for America’s Health. In nationwide rankings, Mississippi was the heaviest state, with an adult obesity rate of 29.5%, followed by Alabama and West Virginia. Colorado was the least heavy state, with an adult obesity rate of 16.9%. Obesity rates remained the same in 18 states and Washington, D.C.
The report cites a survey of 26 state-level government experts on disease prevention, who name the three biggest barriers to effectively addressing obesity: inadequate funding of health initiatives, the political view that obesity is more of a personal responsibility issue than a public policy issue, and lack of political will to solve the obesity problem. The report offers numerous recommendations to address the obesity epidemic’s health burden and financial costs. While personal responsibility is critical to adopting and sustaining healthy behaviors, the report notes that “individual behavior change will not work in isolation.”
