Mississippi's Still Fattest But Alabama Closing In

Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers.

By: Jamie Burch | WKRG-TV
Published: July 01, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an
ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring
Alabama: obese baby boomers.

It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside
of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news.

Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year
and didn't decline anywhere, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

And while the nation has long been bracing for a surge in
Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes
clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills.

In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to
64-year-olds - the oldest boomers - than among today's
65-and-beyond.

Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity, 32.5 percent, for the fifth year in a row. Mississippi also had the highest rate of overweight and obese
children, at 44.4 percent. It's followed by Arkansas, 37.5 percent; and Georgia, 37.3 percent.

Mississippi
Adults - 32.5% Rank #1
Children - 44.4% Rank #1

Alabama
Adults - 31.2% Rank #2
Children - 36.1% Rank # 6

Florida
Adults - 24.1% Rank #39
Children - 33.1% Rank #17

Click here to see a state-by-state breakdown of obesity rates