WV'S OBESITY RATE CONTINUES TO RISE

(08/04/2010)

West Virginia's obesity rate has edged over 30 percent, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, based on 2009 statistics. West Virginia is among nine states in which about one-third of adults are obese. In 2000, no state had an obesity rate of 30 percent or more, says the CDC report. Between 1999 and 2009, West Virginia's obesity rate jumped from 24.6 percent to 31.1 percent. "It's one of those issue that is really hard to tackle," according to Jessica Wright, director of the West Virginia Division of Health Promotions and Chronic Disease. The CDC says obesity contributed to about $147 million in the nation's medical costs in 2008, or $1,429 per person. The high costs are related to obesity-linked diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. About 26.7 percent, or 72 million American adults are obese, says the CDC. Colorado has the lowest national obesity rate at 18.6 percent. Mississippi had the highest with 34.4 percent.

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