Washington state is fighting obesity, like the rest of the nation
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Obesity rates have steadily increased nationwide over the past decade — but Washingtonians are slightly less obese than the national average, according to an analysis from NORC at the University of Chicago.
Why it matters: Obesity is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other conditions that can lead to preventable, premature death, Axios' Arielle Dreher reports.
Driving the news: The research shows that 42% of adults, or roughly 108 million people, in the United States have a Body Mass Index over 30.
- In Washington, 38.8% of the adult population is categorized as obese.
Zoom out: Obesity rates range from a high of about 51% in West Virginia and Mississippi, to a low of 33.0% in Washington, D.C. and 34.1% in Colorado.
- In Oregon, the number is 39.9%.
- California is slightly fitter, coming in at 37.6%.
The other side: Being "moderately overweight" may provide some protection against developing multiple comorbid diseases, making it a potential "marker of a healthy aging process," according to a 2019 study in Italy.