Although adult obesity rates remain high in the United States, they have plateaued the past year, according to "The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America," a report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The 12th annual report found that rates of obesity have remained mostly steady, exceeding 35 percent in three states, are at or above 30 percent in 22 states and are not below 21 percent in any states. Nationwide, more than 30 percent of adults, nearly 17 percent of 2 to 19 year olds and more than 8 percent of children ages 2 to 5 are obese.
The report — based on 2014 state-by-state data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey — found adult obesity rates were highest in the following 15 states:
1. Arkansas — 35.9 percent
2. West Virginia — 35.7 percent
3. Mississippi — 35.5 percent
4. Louisiana — 34.9 percent
5. Alabama — 33.5 percent
6. Oklahoma — 33 percent
7. Indiana — 32.7 percent
8. Ohio —32.6 percent
9. North Dakota — 32.2 percent
10. South Carolina — 32. 1 percent
11. Texas — 31.9 percent
12. Kentucky — 31.6 percent
13. Kansas — 31.3 percent
14. Tennessee — 31. 2 percent (tie)
15. Wisconsin — 31.2 percent (tie)
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