Report: 1 in 3 Ohioans is obese

The nonprofit Trust for America’s Health released its annual report on state obesity rates yesterday and, for the second straight year, it ranked Ohio as the 13th most obese state (Source: “Ohio hasn't gained or lost in obesity rankings,” Columbus Dispatch, July 8, 2011).

According to the report, which uses data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, about three in 10 Ohioans are considered obese, a designation based on having a body mass index of 30 or more.

“Fifteen years ago, Ohio had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 51.5 percent,” the report found. “Ten years ago, it was 56.4 percent. Now, the combined rate is 65.3 percent.”

As was the case last year, Mississippi was ranked the most obese state in the nation with an adult obesity rate of 34.4 percent and Colorado was the least obese, with an adult rate of  19.8 percent. Ohio and 15 other states saw obesity increase in the past year, and no state saw a decrease.