Mississippi most obese state, Colorado slimmest: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Among U.S. states, Mississippi has the highest proportion of obese adults at 34.9 percent, and Colorado has the lowest, according to a survey released on Monday.

Mississippi heads 12 states with adult obesity rates of more than 30 percent, trailed by Louisiana and West Virginia, according to the report by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Twenty-six of the 30 states with the highest obesity rates are in the Midwest and South, it said.

Colorado had the lowest obesity rate at 20.7 percent, ahead of Hawaii and Massachusetts.

"Obesity has contributed to a stunning rise in chronic disease rates and health care costs. It is one of the biggest health crises the country has ever faced," said Jeffrey Levy, executive director of the Trust for America's Health.

The analysis was based on state obesity figures provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The survey used CDC methodology that changed this year, making year-to-year comparisons difficult. The analysis was released in the runup to the annual "F as in Fat" report by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Obesity is measured using the body mass index (BMI), a number calculated from a person's weight and height. Obesity is defined as a BMI greater than or equal to 30.

The top 10 states for obesity and their BMI percentages:

1. Mississippi 34.9

2. Louisiana 33.4

3. West Virinia 32.4

4. Alabama 32.0

5. Michigan 31.3

6. Oklahoma 31.1

7. Arkansas 30.9

8. Indiana (tie) 30.8

8. South Carolina 30.8

10. Kentucky (tie) 30.4

10. Texas 30.4

The bottom 10 states for obesity and their BMI percentages:

1. Colorado 20.7

2. Hawaii 21.8

3. Massachusetts 22.7

4. New Jersey (tie) 23.7

4. District of Columbia 23.7

5. California 23.8

6. Utah 24.4

7. New York (tie) 24.5

7. Connecticut 24.5

7. Nevada 24.5

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)