Mississippi Most Obese State; Colorado Is The Skinniest

Every year, the CDC releases its obesity rankings of American states, and once again, Colorado proves to be the skinniest state in America.

According to 2011 numbers, Colorado's obesity rate was 20.7 percent; in fact, from 2005 to 2009, Colorado was the only state with an obesity rate below 20 percent. Obviously, that is no longer the case.

Sadly, this year 39 states had obesity rates of more than 25 percent; 12 states had rates of more than 30 percent.

So which state lost this year? Mississippi, which had an obesity rate of 34.9 percent. Louisiana (33.4 percent), West Virginia (32.4 percent), Alabama (32 percent), and Michigan (31.3 percent) were close behind. Looking at these states, it's no surprise that obesity rates were high in the South; the region had an average obesity rate of 30 percent.

The Midwest obesity rate was about 29 percent; 25 percent of residents in the Northeast are obese, while 24 percent of Westerners are obese. Of the 30 states with the highest obesity rates, 26 of them are in the South or Midwest.

The skinniest states, aside from Colorado, are Hawaii (21.8 percent), Massachusetts (22.7 percent), Washington, D.C. and New Jersey (23.7 percent), and California (23.8 percent). A full report will be released later this summer from Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Unfortunately for "nanny state" opposers, the results of the study may call for more soda ban taxes and so-on.

"Some cities and states that have taken comprehensive action to address the epidemic are beginning to see declines in their obesity rates. But we need to expand and intensify our efforts. Investing in prevention today will mean a healthier tomorrow for our children," RWJF president and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey said in a statement. We wonder what Bloomberg would say to Mississippi.