New York is the 11th slimmest state in the nation. But nobody is cheering.
In the past 20 years, New York's obesity rate more than doubled to 24.7 percent, compared to 9.3 percent two decades ago.
"Today, the state with the lowest adult obesity rate would have the highest rate in 1995," said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health. "There was a clear tipping point in national weight gain over the last 20 years, and it has had serious ramifications for our health and health care spending."
A report released Thursday by TFAH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation explores the weight gain among American adults. "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011" reports that despite efforts to curb obesity, no state has seen a decrease.
According to the report:
Over the past 15 years, seven states have doubled their rate of obesity.
Twenty years ago, no state had an obesity rate above 15 percent. Today, 38 states have rates above 25 percent.
Twenty years ago, Mississippi had a 15 percent obesity rate -- the worst in the nation. Today, that rate would make it the fittest state in the nation.
Conversely, Colorado today has the best obesity rate at 19.8 percent. Twenty years ago, that rate would have been the worst.
Twenty years ago, New York had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 42.5. Now the combined rate is 60.6 percent.
The definition of obesity hasn't changed. Adults with a body mass index greater than 30 are considered obese: a 5'4" person weighing 174 pounds would be classified as obese.
Dr. James Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, attributed the nation's weight gain to more calories and less physical activity. He noted that many small factors influence our waistlines: larger-portion meals, extra-large drink containers, more snacking and the difficulty in getting fresh foods to some communities.
"If we are going to reverse the obesity trends, will power alone won't do it," Levi said. "We are going to have to make healthier choices easier for Americans."
The report outlined efforts on the local, state and national level to fight obesity. New York is among a few dozen states that limit the types of food sold in school vending machines and require body mass index screening for children. Five years ago, New York was the first state to launch a farm-to-school program to bring fresh foods to schoolchildren.
New York's "I Choose 600" campaign, which launched earlier this year, encourages New Yorkers to choose meals that total under 600 calories (based on a total maximum 2,000 calorie diet per day).
The report noted that New York is not among the 16 states that have adopted a "Complete Streets Law," which directs communities to design roads that are friendly to pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit. Legislation covering Complete Streets was, however, passed by the Legislature in the waning days of the session last month, and awaits Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature.
The report found one small glimmer of hope. The number of states experiencing significant increases in year-to-year obesity rates is dropping. In 2006, 31 states saw a significant annual rise, and in the following years the number of states was 37, 23 and 28. This year, only 16 states had a significant annual increase.
"This provides an encouraging sign that the movement to reverse the obesity epidemic is gathering force and that the policies at the state and local levels may be beginning to have an effect," Marks said. "But let me be clear: This is a small victory."
Reach Crowley at 454-5348 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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