Report says 26% of Ohio adults are obese

The Zanesville Times Recorder is reporting that 26% of Ohio adults are obese, and nearly as many don't exercise. The figures are based on a report from Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention ("More than a quarter of Ohio adults obese," Aug. 27, 2007). Ohio ranked 15th in the nation based on its percentage of obese adults. The report also stated that 14.2% of Ohio children ages 10 to 17 were overweight, giving the state a ranking of 22nd in the nation, while 24.4% of Ohio adults say they don't engage in any physical activity.  The national average is 22 percent.

The report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007," also compares  obesity-related standards in schools among the 50 states (such as if states set nutritional standards for school meals, which the reports says Ohio fails to do).