West Virginia leads nation in obesity for second straight year

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  • For the second year in a row, West Virginia leads the nation when it comes to its adult obesity
  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health released its 15th annual “State of Obesity” report, which finds the Mountain State’s obesity rate is 38.1 percent
  • West Virginia also leads the nation when it comes to adult diabetes (15.2 percent) and hypertension (43.5 percent)
  • Obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in seven states: West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas
  • Colorado has the lowest obesity rate at 22.6 percent
  • See the full report for details in your state
  • Dr Samuel Rossi, a bariatric surgeon at the Charleston Area Medical Center Weight Loss Center, said the increasing rates can be attributed to the lack of physical activity and diet mainly of fast food
  • “We’re starting to see diabetes in kids, We see young adults such as 21, 22, 23-years-old that are put on blood pressure medication, and that’s unheard of years back, Adults that are in their early 30s are starting to have knee problems,” he said.