Study on U.S. waistlines found Coloradans to have the trimmest.
Fresh Colorado air and sunshine does a body good, it seems. So does outdoor activity, availability of fresh produce and fruits, and an overall culture of activity, according to ConsumerProtect.com. The organization dug into Centers for Disease Control's data on BMI measurements, zero-exercise rates (otherwise known as the couch potato index), and eating habits (based on the percentage of adults eating less than one fruit per day) of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
"The complications associated with obesity are tragic and expensive and they have a direct effect on all consumers in a number of ways. Excess weight relative to one’s height is medically linked with early death, heart disease, diabetes, and practically all maladies. Across pretty much all cultures across the globe, obesity is associated with early death," says the study.
Not surprising to us in the state, Colorado rated as the least obese state on the list, with 22.6 percent of the population in Colorado qualifying as obese. On the opposite end of the spectrum is West Virginia at 38.1 percent. Colorado ranked as No. 2 in the nation for exercise habits, coming in just behind Washington, likely due to our amazing outdoor opportunities.
"When it comes to states where people get the most exercise, virtually all of them are places associated with outstanding natural beauty; Washington state leads the nation in exercise, followed by California, Colorado, Alaska, and Utah. Perhaps if you live near the mountains, you’re more likely to go hiking?" says the study. Kentucky has the unhealthiest exercise habits, according to the data.
Colorado ranked in the top 15 healthiest states in terms of the healthy eating index. While the study is a little broad in its conclusion that eating one piece of fruit a day equates to healthy eating habits, the data shows that 33 percent of Coloradans eat less than one piece of fruit a day when compared to the 46.3 percent eating index of Mississippi.
ConsumerProtect.com performed this data analysis to highlight the rising rates of obesity across the U.S.
"According to the Centers for Disease Control, their most recent estimate is that 30.1% of adults are obese as of 2017. The obesity rate in the United States has doubled since 1990 when 15% of the population was classified as obese. Further, estimates for the costs of obesity range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. As consumers, we’re footing the bill," says the study.
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