newjerseynewsroom.com

State ranks No. 42 in ‘F as in Fat' report

The seventh annual "F as in Fat" report about obesity in America has ranked New Jersey among the least obese states in the nation.

Well, we report, you decide. But the report, compiled by the Trust for America's Health, said New Jersey was ranked 42nd out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia. According to NorthJersey.com, it said that 23.9 percent of its adults were considered obese, one of the lowest rates in the country.

The trend among the nation continues to lean on the heavier side, as over 25 percent of adults were obese in 38 states, while in 1991 not one state had an obesity rate higher than 20 percent.

The report unfortunately showed that results for New Jersey children were much worse than the adults. New Jersey has the second-highest rate of obesity among low income 2 to 5-year olds, at 17.9 percent. And one-fourth of the state's high school students are considered overweight.

The "F as in Fat" report showed Colorado to be the healthiest state, with 19.1 percent of its adults coming in as obese. Mississippi weighed in as the fattest state for the sixth year in a row with an adult obesity rate of 33.8 percent.

— BOB HOLT, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM