BY PAM LOBLEY

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

NOW THAT'S FUNNY

The CDC has done us all a big, fat favor by letting us know which of us citizens are the fattest. Congratulations, Mississippi. You guys are super fat! 34 percent of you are obese. Obese means super fat.

Colorado, you are the thinnest. Just about 20 percent of you are obese. Still, I wouldn’t really call you guys thin. One in five of you are super fat. You are not as fat as the rest of us Americans, but, compared to China you are still super fat. I wouldn’t get all fancy about it.

New Jersey, we are somewhere in the middle. In our population, just 23.7 percent of us are obese. A quick glance at the Boardwalk in Wildwood, and one might think the obese percentage would be much, much higher. But, no, we Jersey people are, relatively speaking, not that fat.

The CDC published the obesity statistics for all 50 states. I am proud to say that I am in a thinner state than anyone else in my extended family. I guess that’s because most of my family live south of New Jersey, and the further south you go, the fatter the folk. Something about being closer to the equator makes you crave deep-fried food.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the data for this survey was culled differently than data from other years, making comparison with other obesity statistics a bit tricky. Yet, the CDC assures us that no matter how you measure it, we’re fat.

Just this week, news broke that the percentage of children with high cholesterol has fallen. This is attributed to fewer trans fats in the foods we eat. However, fewer trans fats have not led to weight loss. Childhood obesity rates have stayed the same, even as the cholesterol levels went down. Kids are still super fat.

Face it, people, fat is here to stay. And, since America is usually at the forefront of global change, just watch as other countries start fattening up. Even the French are getting fat.

Obesity carries a high risk of heart disease, stroke, and many cancers. It is costing this country a fortune in increased medical expenses. On average, one-third of Americans are obese. Experts have outlined many ways to combat this growing problem. These include exercising more, making healthy food choices, and eating smaller portions.

Thank you, experts! Problem solved!

Pam Lobley writes the “Now That’s Funny” column. Her book, “You Definitely Know You’re a Mom When …” is now available on Kindle. Follow her on twitter @plobley.

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