Map: Obesity in L.A. County, California Up from 2001 to 2011

By Heather Martino

Obesity rates in counties across California increased from 2001 to 2011 and L.A. County was no different, with a 3.1 percent increase during that period for men and a 5.7 percent increase for women.

By contrast, the prevalence of obesity among L.A. County women from 2001 to 2011 was above the statewide average increase of 5.5 percent.

In total, 29.4 percent of California men and 32.9 percent of California women are estimated to be obese, compared to 27.1 percent and 33.7 percent in L.A. County.

Fortunately for both county and state residents, obesity is still less prevalent both in L.A. County and California compared to the nation as a whole, where 33.8 of men and 36.1 of women are estimated to be obese. 

The county figures on the map were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that nationwide women are more obese than their male counterparts.

In 2011, obesity prevalence for both genders in the U.S. ranged from 20.7 percent in Colorado to 34.9 percent in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

According to the CDC, obesity affects more than one-third of adults, or 35.7 percent of the population in the United States. Obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50-100 percent increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. “Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits,” stated IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release. Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”

The good news is that there may be silver lining to America’s fat epidemic. While we’re still getting fatter, at least it’s happening at a slower rate than in past years.