| ■ 12 States Have Obesity Rates of at Least 30%: CDC | 2011.07.22 |
| A dozen U.S. states now have obesity rates of 30 percent or higher, up from nine states three years ago. No states met the threshold in 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. Obesity is now a problem in all 50 states, the agency said in a news release. An adult is considered obese if he or she has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. No state met the federal Healthy People 2010 goal of a 15 percent obesity rate. In fact, no state had a rate lower than 20 percent, the CDC said. |