Georgia doubles number of fat people
Americans aren’t tightening their belts amid these difficult economic times, they’re just buying sweat pants.
Even our pets are portly.
“Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent,” states a report entitled “F as in Fat” by Trust for America’s Health.
Further evidence that Southern moms cook best: “The obesity epidemic continues to be most dramatic in the South, which includes nine of the 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates.”
Georgia adults are fairly slim compared to our Deep (Fried) South brethren, we’re ranked No. 17 with 28.7 percent of us considered obese, or 30 pounds or more overweight.
We used to be a lot healthier: “Fifteen years ago, Georgia had an obesity rate of 13.8 percent and was ranked 34th most obese state in the nation. The obesity rate in Georgia doubled over the last 15 years.”
“Diabetes rates have doubled in ten states including Georgia in the past 15 years. In 1995, Georgia had a diabetes rate of 4.2 percent. Now the diabetes rate is 9.7 percent.”
I blame the children, who I’ve seen put Coca-Cola in their breakfast cereal and sit on the couch playing video games instead of learning a decent changeup or even a palmball.
Or is it the parents?
Here’s some more interesting tidbits from the report:
- Nearly 33 percent of adults who did not graduate high school in Georgia are obese compared with 21.5 percent of adults who graduated from college or a technical college.
- More than 33 percent of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year in Georgia were obese compared with 24.6 percent of adults who earn $50,000 or more per year.
- 21.3 percent of children and adolescents (ages 10 – 17) in Georgia are considered obese, second only to Mississippi.
- In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Now, all but one, Colorado, does.
Top 10 most obese states:
1. Mississippi (34.4%)
2. Alabama (32.3%)
3. West Virginia (32.2%)
4. Tennessee (31.9%)
5. Louisiana (31.6%)
6. Kentucky (31.5%)
7. Oklahoma (31.4%)
8. South Carolina (30.9%)
9. Arkansas (30.6%)
10. Michigan (30.5%)
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
43 comments Add your comment
jesse
July 7th, 2011
3:35 pm
BY THE WAY….THINK OF ALL THE PROFITS THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY GAINS WHEN AMERICANS ARE GIVEN VARIOUS PILLS THRU THEIR DOCTOR TO TREAT A LIST OF SYMPTOMS BROUGHT ON FROM OVER INDULGING IN FAST FOOD AND LACK OF EXCERCISE……HYPERTENSION IS NOW COMMON IN MOST THIRTYSUMTHINGS,AS WELL AS FATTY LIVER……A PRECURSER TO CIRRHOSIS
Ezra
July 7th, 2011
3:36 pm
Wow! You people are socialist to the bone! Its a free country unless someone is different than they way YOU want them to be. I do not need you to look after me nor do I solicit your advice or care. Go live you life until you croak as a bunch of skin and bones at what ever age and let these Americans live free–especially from you!
health freak
July 7th, 2011
3:40 pm
@jesse – I agree w/ you. BTW – Speaking of Wendy’s have you heard their recent commercial? It says ” It’s not fast food, it’s Wendys”! They have a nerve! What a blatant and open lie! And I bet these advertising gurus make millions on that!
Ezra
July 7th, 2011
3:40 pm
Wow! You people are socialist to the bone!
Its a free country unless someone is different than they way YOU want them to be. I do not need you to look after me nor do I solicit your advice or care.
Go live you life until you croak as a bunch of skin and bones at what ever age and let these Americans live free–especially from you!
Eat me
July 7th, 2011
3:46 pm
The FDA and other government food policy authors are themselves to blame. By subsidizing corn and monoculture, they are making these empty calorie foods the only ones that some can afford to eat. Additionally, catering to the lobbyists and a dearth of real education about nutrition have only made this downward spiral a trend that will continue.
Watch Food Inc., read some Michael Pollan, and find out where your food comes from. I guarantee it will change they way you eat on a daily basis causing you to feel better and possibly keeping you from becoming an overweight statistic.
jesse
July 7th, 2011
3:58 pm
HEY EZRA ,,,I DONT CARE ABOUT ANYBODY ELSES HEALTH DECISION OTHER THEN MYSELF AND FAMILY,,,BUT I FIND IT EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING WHEN IM GIVEN A CHOICE OF BUYING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES( LOADED WITH FUNGICIDES AND PESTICIDES…).OR THE FRUIT BARS WITH WAY MORE INGREDIENTS THAN I CAN PRONOUNCE OR EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.OR THE CORN FED BEEF( INJECTED WITH SODIUM NITRATES AND PHOSPHATES/HORMONES/STEROIDS)WITCH IS ALLTHE LOCAL (WALMARTS/COSTCOS/ALBERTSONS/RANDALLS) GROCERS OFFER…..DO SOME RESEARCH ..CHECK OUT THE INGREDIENTS AT THE LOCAL FAST FOOD JOINT…..EVEN THE CHICKEN SALADS ARE GLAZED WITH CHEMICALS FOUND IN THE ANTIFREEZE OF A CAR
jesse
July 7th, 2011
3:59 pm
I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MY SELF…@EAT ME
Snafu
July 7th, 2011
4:09 pm
Does the AJC really read their own headlines? “Georgia doubles number of fat people”??? What did they get them from other states? Did they get a new shipment of fatties or what? Did they split the fatties in half to make two fatties? Come on AJC how about the “Georgia’s Obesity Rates Have Increased”, or ” The Obesity Rate in Georgia is Increasing.”
deegee
July 7th, 2011
4:36 pm
It’s never too late to realize a benefit from a diet and exercise program. I know a 79 year old woman that has recently lost 16 pounds and reduced her cholesterol count by 60 points. She has a number of health issues but she started watching her calories and walking because she didn’t want to take cholesterol medication. If she can do it anyone can do it.
dirtyhippy
July 7th, 2011
4:45 pm
it would be interesting if this data could be broken down more by city…someone said before that all the fat people live in the burbs and I bet some of the suburbs are not as fat as you ITP people think. we do have greenways, trails, parks, golf courses and health clubs all over the place in the burbs. people in north fulton tend to be extremely health conscious. i have seen several fast food /chain restaurants go out of business here (sonic, joes crab shack, etc) while whole foods, trader joes and natural food stores thrive. so if you are down to get in a fitness competition with us OTPers, bring it.