By region, the prevalence of obesity was higher in the South (27.3%) and Midwest (26.5%) and lower in the Northeast (24.4%) and West (23.1%). State-specific obesity prevalence ranged from 18.7% to 32.0% and was <20%>30% in three states: Alabama (30.3%), Mississippi (32.0%), and Tennessee (30.1%). No state met the Healthy People 2010 target of 15%, and 30 states had obesity prevalence >25%.
It's not like they ran away with the title; we're only talking a few percentage points separating the regions. Among the most obese states, you can see that only three -- all in the South -- break the 30% barrier. Could be the food; could be the poverty; could be the culture. It's probably all three. I blame NASCAR. And the CDC, which is located in Atlanta. And Waffle Houses, which are pure evil.
Deeper into these stats, we can see that college-educated men and women are less obese. What's the tie? Folks with degrees earn more money, and thus can spend more on food. And healthy food costs more than fatty, calorie-rich food. When you're poor, you're not shopping at Whole Foods.
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