KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Missouri cracked a government list it would probably rather not be a part of. Missouri is among 12 states with very high obesity rates, according to a survey released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Missouri and 11 other states have obesity rates of at least 30 percent. The CDC says the Show-Me State's rate is 30.3 percent.
Nationwide, more than a third of adults are obese. The latest figures are based on a 2011 telephone survey that asked adults their height and weight. For the first time, households with only cell phones were included.
Dan Martin, Director of Wellness at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, provides one theory on the high obesity rate, saying when a person becomes overweight to a certain point, he thinks most of those people stop caring. "Once you get 30 pounds overweight, I think it becomes a why bother moment where what's ten more pounds at that point," Martin said. "I think that's where we kind of spiral in that direction."
The CDC report says 29 percent of Iowa's adults are severely overweight. Catherine Lillehoj of the Iowa Department of Public Health says the 2011 statistics aren't directly comparable to previous numbers because of changes in collection methods. Lillehoj says there have been dramatic increases in obesity across the nation, mainly because of poor diets and lack of exercise. Obesity is often accompanied by health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
In addition to Missouri, other states with very high rates include Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
Colorado came in with the lowest obesity rate at 21 percent, and Mississippi tops the charts at nearly 36 percent.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
See report from Trust for America's Health
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