Washington ranks 28th most obese state in the nation

With an adult obesity rate of 26.3 percent, Washington state now ranks as the 28th most obese state in the U.S. and is one of the 38 U.S. states that have an adult obesity rate above 25 percent, according to a new report.

Map courtesy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Nearly two-thirds of Washington state adults (62 percent) were overweight, the report found.

Except for Michigan, the top 10 most obese states are all in the South. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Chart courtesy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

In general, to determine whether an adult is overweight or obese, researchers use a ratio of a person’s height to weight called the body mass index or BMI.

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while those with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese.

To calculate your BMI either use the equation below or the BMI widget in the sidebar
BMI = [Weight (in pounds)/(Height in inches) x (Height in inches)] x 703.

The obesity numbers for Washington state’s children were considerable better: for children age 10 – 17 years the obesity rate was 11 percent, giving the state a ranking of 48th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia

For children, a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age are considered obese while those with a BMI at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile are considered overweight.

The report, prepared by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that the obesity rates varied considerably by race, ethnicity and income in most states.

In Washington state, for example, the adult obesity rate was 32.2 percent among Blacks and 29.9 percent among Latinos, compared with 26.2 percent among Whites.

Nationally, the report found striking regional differences in obesity rates with 10 out of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity being in the South with the state of  Mississippi  having the highest rates for all adults, (33.8 percent).

Low income was also associated with higher obesity rates, the report found with more than a third (35.3 percent) of adults earning less than $15,000 per year being obese compared with roughly a quarter (24.5 percent) of adults earning $50,000 or more per year.

Northeastern and western states continue to dominate the states with the lowest rates of obesity. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Chart courtesy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The report evaluated each state’s efforts to combat the obesity epidemic. For Washington state its key findings were:

Washington set nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts, and snacks that are stricter than current United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements. Twenty states and D.C. have set such standards. Five years ago, only four states had legislation requiring stricter standards

Washington does not have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold in schools on á la carte lines, in vending machines, in school stores, or through school bake sales. Twenty-eight states and D.C. have nutritional standards for competitive foods. Five years ago, only six states had such standards.

Washington has not passed requirements for body mass index (BMI) screenings of children and adolescents or legislation requiring other forms of weight-related assessments in schools. Twenty states have passed such requirements for BMI screenings. Five years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.

Washington has not passed Complete Streets legislation, which aims to ensure that all users — pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities — have safe access to a community’s streets. Thirteen states have passed Complete Streets legislation.

Other key findings of the study:

• Adult obesity rates for Blacks topped 40 percent in nine states, 35 percent in 34 states, and 30 percent in 43 states and D.C.

• Rates of adult obesity for Latinos were above 35 percent in two states (North Dakota and Tennessee) and at 30 percent and above in 19 states.

• Ten of the 11 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South, as are the 10 states with the highest rates of hypertension.

• No state had rates of adult obesity above 35 percent for Whites. Only one state – West Virginia – had an adult obesity rate for Whites greater than 30 percent.

• The number of states where adult obesity rates exceed 30 percent doubled in the past year, from four to eight – Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia.

• Northeastern and Western states had the lowest adult obesity rates; Colorado remained the lowest at 19.1 percent.

To learn more:

• Visit the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website where you can find the full report, F as in Fat 2010: How the Obesity Crisis Threatens America’s Future, as well as a summary and other materials.

Local Resources:

• Washington State Department of Health: Physical Activity & Nutrition information page
• Partners in Action: Nutrition and Physical Activity in Washington
• Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
• Public Health-Seattle & King County site for physical activity
• King County Overweight Prevention Initiative

Tags: Obesity

Category: Diabetes, Diet, Fitness & Exercise, Nutrition