Hoosier Obesity Grows

Indiana improved from the 10th fattest state last year to the 12th this year, but it is not because fewer Hoosiers are considered obese.

(Undated) – More Indiana residents are considered obese than a year ago, but other states are doing worse at trimming their waistlines.

About 33.6 percent of Hoosier adults are obese, according to a report called “The State of Obesity 2018: Better Policies for a Healthier America” from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report cites data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Indiana ranks as the 12th fattest state, down from 10th in last year’s report which pegged Indiana’s obesity rate at 32.5 percent.

Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, Indiana ranks 11th for adults with diabetes, 10th for adults with hypertension, and 12th for adults who are not physically active.

Kentucky ranked as the 8th fattest state at 34.3 percent adult obesity. Ohio was 11th at 33.8 percent.

The report recommends that federal, state and local policymakers support and expand programs aimed at addressing obesity, strengthen essential nutrition support for low-income families, and strive for higher nutrition standards. The food and restaurant sections are encouraged to limit marketing of unhealthy foods to children and follow the American Heart Association’s guidance concerning children’s intake of added sugars.

You can review the entire "The State of Obesity 2018: Better Policies for a Healthier America" report at https://www.tfah.org/report-details/the-state-of-obesity-2018/.