Weight Loss
Posted By Clod on October 21, 2011
After skimming the maps above, you’re probably reeling from the state of our union. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta released these visual fat stats in October, and the news is grim: While in 1991 only four states were dangerously overweight (defined as 15 percent of the population’s being obese), less than a decade later, a full 44 states have fallen prey to fat. Currently, only Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana and New Hampshire are successfully battling the bulge, and even they’ve gained some weight.
This pervasive pudge has health experts concerned. Like any epidemic, obesity hits some regions harder than others. Cruise the streets in, say, Michigan, and you may notice a size surplus: More than 20 percent of residents there are at least 30 pounds overweight. Head down south to states like Mississippi and West Virginia, and you’ll find an even beefier bunch, reports the CDC.
Yet simply living in an overweight state isn’t what makes you heavy. “The major difference between the thin states and the fat states has to do with behavior,” says Ali Mokdad, Ph.D., the senior epidemiologist who did the CDC study. And you know what that means: There’s something we can do about all of that fat.
What lessons can fat-zone dwellers learn from their trim neighbors? To find out, SELF turned to a pack of pros, including epidemiologists, nutritionists, fitness authorities and the ultimate experts: women who hail from the six slim states.
Advice from the Slim Six
The women who reside in the leanest locales have one key situation on their side: a dearth of fast food. For instance, in Montana— the sixth slimmest state — you’ll find just one fast-food restaurant every 170 square miles, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Yet in Kentucky, the eighth heaviest state, you can stop for fries every 13 square miles.
“If you look at the numbers, you’ll see that the fast-food industry’s growth in any area parallels the area’s obesity,” notes Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation (Houghton Mifflin), which is being released next month. The lack of McMeals in Montana has definitely benefited Bonnie Holmes, 49, a skin-care product developer and resident of McAllister. “The nearest fast-food restaurant is a Dairy Queen, and to get there I’d have to hop in my Jeep and drive 20 miles. So I generally end up cooking at home, which is healthier than having a burger and fries,” she says.
Less Wealth, Less Health
Americans in the fattest states are also likely to grapple with yet another problem: less money to devote to a healthy lifestyle. People living in the six most pound-packed regions earn about 20 percent less than those in the six most svelte states. This means they’re likely to have two jobs, leaving less time to exercise and cook. They also may not be able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables — if they can even get their hands on them. Produce, a major element of a low-fat diet, is less widely available in low-income neighborhoods, as revealed in a recent survey conducted by Shape Up America!, an anti-obesity program launched by former surgeon general C. Everett Koop, M.D. Couple the produce problem with a wide availability of fast food, and you’ve got weight gain.
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