Washington state is fighting obesity, like the rest of the nation

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.