Is the United States Making Progress in Tackling the Obesity Crisis?

A report on adult obesity rates from the Trust for America’s Health appears to show that Americans are making some progress in tackling what had become a national health crisis. The report shows that between 2015 and 2016, obesity rates increased in only four states -- Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, and West Virginia -- and actually decreased in one state, Kansas. Although obesity is still a major national concern, the new data is promising, especially when compared to the numbers from 2006, when obesity rates increased in 31 states.

Reasons to be cautiously optimistic:

• “We're far from out of the woods when it comes to obesity,” said John Auerbach, CEO of the Trust for America’s Health. “But we have many reasons to be optimistic.”
• West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate, at 37.7 percent. Colorado has the lowest, at 22.3 percent.
• The newest data shows that adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in five states, 30 percent in 25 states, and 25 percent in 46 states.