(July 18, 2008)—Texas ranks No. 10 in this year’s list of the most obese states in the country, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says 28.1 percent of the adults in Texas are obese.
Mississippi has the highest percentage of overweight adults at 32 percent, followed by Alabama and Tennessee at about 30 percent.
Researchers say the traditional Southern diet high in fat and fried food may play a role.
They also say the South has a large concentration of rural residents and black women, who both tend to have higher obesity rates.
Experts say the South also has high death rates from heart disease and stroke.
At the other end of the scale, the survey found Colorado has the lowest percentage of overweight adults, at 19.
The study covered only adults, but an expert says results for kids are similar.
“The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels,” said Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.
“We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high calorie foods and sugar sweetened beverages in order to maintain a healthy weight.”
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