Mississippi has kept its U.S. heavyweight title for a fifth straight year, among both adults and children.
The percentage of adults classified as obese went up in 23 states, but Mississippi, with 32.5 percent, stayed atop the latest annual rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America's Health. The same survey put the state's adult obesity rate at 31.7 percent in 2008. Thirty-one states now report rates over 25 percent. By comparison, no state topped 20 percent in 1991.
In addition, 44.4 percent of Mississippi children ages 10 to 17 are classified as overweight or obese.
Rounding out the top five states among adults were West Virginia, with 31.2 percent of its population considered obese; Alabama, 31.1 percent; Tennessee, 30.2 percent; and South Carolina 29.7 percent.
fried chicken, pulled pork and french fries----the health food of the south
Posted by: leslaw1 | July 01, 2009 at 07:58 PM