Where does Louisiana's obesity rate rank among states? | Medical/Hospital

Nearly 40 percent of Louisiana adults are obese, according to new data released by the state health department. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionNationally, Louisiana ranks fourth behind Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia.

Louisiana Obesity Rates It's been steadily increasing for decades, and experts believe it's due to a combination of genetic and environmental influences.

“There's no question that the Louisiana environment is highly obesogenic — that it encourages obesity,” said Eric Lovesin, an obesity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Center in Baton Rouge.

Obesity means having a body mass index (BMI), calculated based on height and weight, over 30. BMI is an imperfect indicator and has long been criticized, but it is still widely used to estimate body fat.

Rising interest rates

Louisiana's obesity rate is 39.9 percent, meaning roughly two in five people are obese. In 2013, the obesity rate was 33.1 percent. 20 years ago in the 1990sObesity rates ranged from 15% to 19%.

Nationwide, obesity rates are also rising. In 1993, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Every state now has an obesity rate above 20 percent, according to this year's prevalence map.

Currently, that percentage ranges from a low of 25% in Colorado to a high of 41.2% in West Virginia.

These figures are likely underestimates because they rely on self-reported data from telephone surveys in which individuals report their height and weight. Adjusted estimates from NORCA University of Chicago research institute suggests Louisiana's actual obesity rate may be closer to 50 percent.

Although genes haven't changed significantly over the past few decades, environmental factors can alter how genes are activated, putting some people at higher risk for weight gain.

Louisiana's environment plays a key role.

“I've lived in Baton Rouge for over 20 years,” Lavsin said, “There are no sidewalks. No one can walk.”

Some people are more susceptible to obesity depending on their environment, and black Americans are genetically more susceptible to it, Lavsin said: A CDC survey found that 47 percent of black adults in Louisiana report being obese, compared with 37 percent of white residents.

For these people, standard advice about diet and exercise doesn't always have much effect, especially if obesity began in childhood.

“A common misconception is that obesity “This is the result of a lack of willpower and a personal failure to eat healthily and exercise,” says Dr Ruth Petersen. CDCof nutrition, physical activity, and obesity“Many factors obesity “These include genetics, certain medications, lack of sleep, gut microbiome, stress, access to affordable food, safe places to be active, and access to health care.”

Socioeconomic factors further complicate the problem: Many people in the state turn to cheap, shelf-stable and unhealthy ultra-processed foods, which have low nutritional value and often lead people to overeat to feel full, Lavsan said.

Rethinking BMI

Body mass index has long been criticized as too blunt a tool: it measures weight relative to height, but doesn't take into account muscle mass. As a result, some people who are technically considered obese may be at a healthy weight. For example, lean football players with low body fat percentages are often classified as obese based on BMI alone.

Some argue that abdominal obesity, or excess fat around the belly, is a better measure of the relationship between health and weight, and may provide a more accurate assessment of health in the future, but the change is unlikely to affect Louisiana's overall obesity rate.

“We're not going to throw away BMI, but we need to pay more attention to the distribution,” Ravsan said.