ATLANTA, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- At least one in five people in each of the 50 U.S. states is obese, according to new research released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC released Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps today showing at least 20 percent of the population in every state is obese and 35 percent of the population in at least four states is obese.
At least 35 percent of the population in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia is obese, with Louisiana outpacing the others at 36.2 percent. The South, where all four states are located, had the highest regional prevalence of obesity, at 31.2 percent.
The slimmest region of the country, the West, saw 25.2 percent of its population report themselves as obese, followed by 26.4 percent in the Northeast, and 30.7 percent in Midwest.
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Colorado had the lowest rate of obesity at 20.2 percent, one of six states with less than 25 percent obesity. The other five are California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Montana and Utah, in addition to Washington, D.C.
Nineteen states, and Puerto Rico, had prevalence of obesity between 25 percent and 30 percent, with the prevalence in 21 states and Guam coming in between 30 percent and 35 percent.
The highest rate of obesity among demographic groups was non-Hispanic blacks at 38.1 percent, followed by 31.9 percent for Hispanics and 27.6 percent for non-Hispanic whites. When broken down by states, more than 35 percent of non-Hispanic whites were obese in two states, more than 35 percent of Hispanics were obese in 11 states and more than 35 percent of non-Hispanic blacks were obese in 34 states and Washington, D.C.
The self-reported data -- some people could have understated their weight -- was collected by the CDC as part of its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
