September 26, 2018

CDC Report: 7 States Have Obesity Levels At Or Above 35%

Photo by I Yunmai on Unsplash

In a statement released by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, new data on self-reported adult obesity prevalence for all 50 states for 2017 were reported. This data comes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, telephone interview survey conducted by the CDC and stat health departments.

Obesity Levels by State

According to the data results, in 2017, seven states reported an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35% – Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. “This is up from five states in 2016. Five years ago, in 2012, all states had obesity prevalence lower than 35%,” reports the CDC.

Obesity prevalence ranged from a low of 22.6% in Colorado to a high of 38.1% in West Virginia.

What To Do About Obesity Levels, according to Richard Walker, MD

Weight gain and obesity involve three basic things – exercise, nutrition and lifestyle. The American lifestyle, simply put, is sedentary and excessive. We sit during most of the things we do at work, home and play, and eat in excess of what the body needs to function daily. It takes about 3200 calories a day to gain 1 pound, if these calories are not burned off by exercise. Carbohydrates are sugars that the body needs for energy measured in the form of calories. The body then stores all excess calories as fat, a means of stored energy for reserves. Add to this problem that the type of foods eaten are the absolute worse given that the best vitamins, minerals and fatty acids are, for the most part, missing.

This is just the beginning of the cascade of metabolic problems now in play. We generally find ourselves under chronic stress, which causes the production of a hormone called cortisol which is secreted normally from the adrenal glands at high stress levels for short periods of time. However, in our modern society with constant stress, the levels of cortisol remain elevated for extended periods causing increased production of additional glucose that the body doesn’t need. Therefore, the newly manufactured glucose gets stored as fat.

The lifelong process of consuming increased calories, as simple carbohydrates (carbs) or simple sugars, e.g. white granulated sugar and sweets, breads, and pastas (not the good complex sugars as in cabbage, broccoli, etc.) have altered all kinds of normal bio-chemical and hormonal reactions. We can start with the hormone insulin, which is responsible for the entry of these sugars into cells to be used as a source of fuel. However, over time, the excess amount of sugar in the blood has caused the excess production of insulin, which renders cells relatively insensitive to its signal and effects. Thus, the body now requires very high levels of insulin for cells to respond causing a different type of signal – store fat, rather than burn fat! Over time this becomes type II diabetes. Now we have a vicious cycle occurring.

What To Do

The answer lies in understanding what’s happening to your body, due to your lifestyle.

1. Make a Decision. You must make a decision if you really want to do something about your weight. If you’re not really committed to work on it, then don’t! You’ll get even more frustrated, spend more money, and get more frustrated because its not working. You’ll then quit, eat more comfort foods, and gain even more weight.

2. Get Help. Now you need to find a professional who will tell you the truth, then you should be prepared to attack each issue causing your problem. Avoid taking pharmaceutical preparations – they are not needed. Speak with a certified nutritionist or your doctor for assistance before beginning any weight loss program or diet.

3. Exercise. Exercise should be an integral part of your life. Your goal should be at least 30 minutes of exercise, 4 days a week. When you begin to lose weight and find your weight plateauing – don’t get discouraged. The plateau is because your body is making metabolic adjustments.