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Health
Report: Americans are getting fatter every year


Nearly a quarter of all Americans are obese, according to a report from the Trust for America's Health.

The national obesity rate was 24.5 percent, the report said, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mississippi tipped the scales with a rate of 29.5 percent, the highest in the nation, while Colorado had the lowest, at 16.8 percent.

States with high percentages of Native Americans appeared on both sides of the spectrum. Montana, where 7.5 percent of the population is Native, had an obesity rate of 19.7 percent, one of the lowest in the nation. On the other hand, Oklahoma, where 11.3 percent is Native, had a 24.9 percent obesity rate.

The report hailed Nike as an industry leader when it comes to combating obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles. The "NikeGo on Native Lands" program provides physical activity, nutritional education and diabetes prevention to 3,000 children on 25 reservations, the report said.

Get the Story:
Obesity Rate Is Nearly 25 Percent, Group Says (The New York Times 8/24)
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Report: Obesity Rates Up in Most States (AP 8/23)
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Obesity 2005 Report:
F As in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2005 (August 2005)

Relevant Links:
Trust for America's Health http://healthyamericans.org

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