There is no place left in the US where the majority of people are slim. Every state has an obesity rate of more than 20% of the population. In nineteen states, making up almost 40% of the US population, 30% to 35% of the states’ residents are obese. In three states, Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia more than 35% of the people who live there are obese.
Though these statistics may sound serious, there is more bad news. Obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index or a ratio of height to weight) of greater than 30. This means a person 5 feet 9 inches would weigh 203 pounds. At this same height of 5 feet 9 inches, this person would be considered overweight if he or she weighed between 169 to 202 pounds, and many do. If we combined the overweight and obese population in the US it would encompass 74% of all men and 67% of women.
