A new study finds almost one in every three Iowans is obese, a number that’s bounded from about one in five at the start of the new millennium. John Auerbach, president and C-E-O of Trust for America’s Health, says more Iowans need to get serious about their diet and exercise.
Kansas was the only state on this year’s report that saw a decrease in its obesity rate while five states had an increase. The rest, like Iowa, remained steady.
On the optimistic side, Auerbach says Iowa’s numbers may finally be stabilizing as they’ve been hovering around 32-percent for a couple of years now.
The top-ranking states, those with the lowest obesity levels, are Hawaii, Massachusetts and -tops- Colorado, where the obesity rate is 22-percent. The lowest-ranking states on the list are: Alabama, Mississippi and -last- West Virginia, with an obesity rate of almost 38-percent.
