Colorado has the lowest adult obesity rate in the nation, according to a report released Monday by the non-profit Trust for America’s Health. But the state’s obesity rate is higher last year, up to 17.6 percent from 16.9 percent. That’s in tune with trends across the county. The report, tilted “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America,” found no states had a decrease in obesity rates over the past year but 31 states experienced an increase. For 22 of those states it was the second year in row that obesity rates increased.
The researchers looked at state and federal policies relating to health and obesity and found many to be lacking or ineffective.
“The country needs to develop a plan for combating obesity that is in proportion to the scope and depth of the problem,” the researchers stated. “This will require focusing on strategies that will work on a wide scale. The question is, is America willing to make the commitment needed to return to better health?”
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Colorado was noted in the report for:
- Having the lowest combined percentage of obese and overweight people among all states, at 54.2 percent
- Having the third lowest percentage of overweight 10- to 17-year olds, at 9.9 percent
- Having the fourth lowest rate of physical inactivity among adults
- Having the lowest rate (tied with Alaska) of adult diabetes
- For setting nutritional standards for school meals above U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements
- Being the only state other than Oklahoma to not require health education
- For having a law limiting consumers’ ability to sue others for causing their obesity
- For creating a pilot program to treat obese Medicaid patients
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