How Fat Are We? Study Shows Fattening Fairfax, Fatter Virginia

By Heather Martino

Fairfax County residents aren't as fat as your average Virginian, but that doesn't mean we aren't still packing it on. Virginia is a fat state.

Obesity rates among men in Fairfax County increased at a slower rate than the rest of the state — with an increase of 6.1 percentage points from 2001 to 2011. Virginia's obesity rate increased by 7.4 percentage points among men.

Among women in Fairfax, there was only a slight difference compared with the state increase. There was a 7.1 percentage point increase in the county and a 7.3 percent increase in the state.

But comparing the overall obesity rate in Fairfax County to the same figure across the state would be like comparing skinny jeans to sweatpants. Virginia's obesity rate among men was at 33.7 percent in 2011, compared to 25.7 percent in Fairfax County.  

Nationally, the obesity rate was at 33.8 percent, only slightly higher than the state. In 2011, obesity prevalence in the U.S. ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

These figures were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington.

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% increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US 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,” said 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. And if this rate continues to drop, Fairfax might soon be reporting slimmer, healthier residents.