Michigan Getting Fatter in CDC’s Most Obese States List

Michigan residents are, on average, more obese in 2015 than they were in the year prior, and the state now ranks the 17th heftiest in the country, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's latest analysis of obesity in America.

In the 2014 study, Michigan ranked 18th. A year later, nearly one-third — 31.2 percent, up almost a percentage point from 2014 — are considered obese. That includes 30.7 percent of adults, 13 percent of adolescents and 13.9 percent of childen.

In general, residents in states that are among the most obese in the country appeared to be putting on more weight, the CDC said in its report based on lager

While three states — North Dakota, Indiana and South Carolina — dropped from the top 10 most obese, that progress was due, in large part, to significant increases in obesity in other states instead of weight loss. The CDC releases annual obesity rates each September based on larger, self-reported studies on behavioral risk factors.

Again, in every state, at least one in five adults is obese. Colorado has the lowest percentage at 20.2 percent. Ranked No. 4 last year, Louisiana has moved to the top of the list with 36.2 percent. Other states with notable increases included Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and Maine.

There are some signs of improvement. Ranked eighth in obesity in 2015, Ohio fell to No. 28 in the latest ranking and dropped nearly 3 percent in the obesity rate to 29.8 percent. Montana, Utah, New York and Minnesota also saw notable improvements in the year-over-year obesity rates.

The report also looks at obesity rates by race, finding 38 percent of blacks reported being obese, compared with 31.9 percent of Hispanics and 27.6 percent among whites.

People who are obese are at a higher risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and some forms of cancer, as well as other health issues. Medical care costs related to obesity have reached more than $190 billion a year, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of Health Economics.

What Is Michigan Doing About It?

The CDC provides additional funding to 32 states to improve access to healthy foods and increase outreach on the importance of physical activity. In Michigan, a $424,564 State Public Health Actions grant was used to prevent, manage, and reduce the risk factors associated with chronic diseases — including childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Below are some of the specific uses of the grant.

• Partnered with the Fair Food Network to conduct a mail campaign to inform Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients of the Double Up Food Bucks program. This program encourages recipients to use their SNAP benefits to purchase produce at farmers’ markets. Recipients also receive a one-to-one match to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables.
• Partnered with the Michigan Farmers’ Market Association to provide training and technical assistance (TA) for local coalitions and farmers’ market managers on how to accept SNAP benefits.
• Worked with businesses to help employers use the Designing Healthy Environments at Work (DHEW) tool. The DHEW is an online tool to measure how employers are meeting recommended worksite wellness best practices.
• Worked with local health departments, school districts, and community organizations to designate Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) consultants. The consultants recruit child care providers to participate in workshops, and they develop and implement NAP SACC Action Plans outlining steps to adopt best practices in food service and physical activity in early care and education centers.
• Funded six local health jurisdictions to promote physical activity through strategies such as walking campaigns, signage, joint-use agreements, physical activity education, and information resource distribution in high obesity areas.
• Provided training and TA to local public health departments and coalitions to implement strategies to improve health, such as installing non-motorized paths, initiating Safe Routes to Schools or community supported agriculture programs, and expanding farmers’ markets.

The CDC also provides $1.7 million annually for college and university programs that reduce obesity and boost prevention in communities with the highest obesity rates.

"Efforts are needed to combat the prevalence of obesity in areas where the problem is the worst, particularly rural areas," the CDC noted in the latest call for grant funding applications in August. "There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach that works for rural communities in regards to health initiatives."

Closer Look at Michigan

Here’s a look at some of the findings from the CDC:

Adult Statistics

• 37.7 percent of adults reported consuming fruit less than one time daily.
• 24.8 percent of adults reported consuming vegetables less than one time daily.
• 53.1 percent of adults achieved the equivalent of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week.
• 34.9 percent of adults were overweight.
• 30.7 percent of adults were obese.

Adolescent Statistics

• 39.7 percent of adolescents reported consuming fruit less than one time daily.
• 37.6 percent of adolescents reported consuming vegetables less than one time daily.

• 26.7 percent of adolescents were physically active at least 60 minutes per day on all 7 days in the past week.
• 15.5 percent of adolescents were overweight.

• 13.0 percent of adolescents were obese.

Child Statistics

• 76.0 percent of infants were ever breastfed.
• 38.1 percent of infants were breastfed for at least 6 months.

• 16.4 percent of children aged 2 to 4 years in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program were overweight.
• 13.9 percent of children aged 2 to 4 years in WIC were obese

America at a Glance

Rankings of self-reported obesity prevalence, according to the CDC survey:

1. Louisiana, 36.2
2. Alabama, 35.6
3. Mississippi, 35.6
4. West Virginia, 35.6
5. Kentucky, 34.6
6. Arkansas, 34.5
7. Kansas, 34.2
8. Oklahoma, 33.9
9. Tennessee, 33.8
10. Missouri, 32.4
11. Texas, 32.4
12. Iowa, 32.1
13. South Carolina, 31.7
14. Guam, 31.6
15. Nebraska, 31.4
16. Indiana, 31.3
17. Michigan, 31.2
18. North Dakota, 31
19. Illinois, 30.8
20. Georgia, 30.7
21. Wisconsin, 30.7
22. South Dakota, 30.4
23. North Carolina, 30.1
24. Oregon, 30.1
25. Maine, 30
26. Pennsylvania, 30
27. Alaska, 29.8
28. Ohio, 29.8
29. Delaware, 29.7
30. Puerto Rico, 29.5
31. Virginia, 29.2
32. Wyoming, 29
33. Maryland, 28.9
34. New Mexico, 28.8
35. Idaho, 28.6
36. Arizona, 28.4
37. Florida, 26.8
38. Nevada, 26.7
39. Washington, 26.4
40. New Hampshire, 26.3
41. Minnesota, 26.1
42. Rhode Island, 26
43. New Jersey, 25.6
44. Connecticut, 25.3
45. Vermont, 25.1
46. New York, 25
47. Utah, 24.5
48. Massachusetts, 24.3
49. California, 24.2
50. Montana, 23.6
51. Hawaii, 22.7
52. District of Columbia, 22.1
53. Colorado, 20.2

Photo provided by CDC/ Debora Cartagena