Obesity is a big health problem in the U.S., especially in Louisiana. It can lead to diseases like diabetes and heart problems. According to the CDC, about 38.1% of adults in Louisiana were obese from 2020 to 2022, which is higher than the national average of 35.7%.
Some cities in Louisiana have even higher obesity rates than the state average. A recent study by WalletHub ranked 100 U.S. cities based on three things: obesity and overweight rates, health problems caused by obesity, and food and fitness.
The study used 19 different measures to look at each of these factors. These included the percentage of adults and kids who are overweight or obese, the expected obesity rates in 2030, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high cholesterol, the rate of heart disease, the number of deaths related to obesity, the percentage of inactive adults, and more.
The City That Has Been Named as the Highest Obesity Rate in the State
The study showed that Shreveport-Bossier City has the highest obesity rate among all U.S. metro areas, with 41.9% of adults being obese. It also ranked fifth overall for the most overweight cities in the country.
The second-highest obesity rate was in Baton Rouge, where 40.8% of adults are obese. Baton Rouge ranked second overall for the most overweight cities in the country.
Lafayette had the third-highest obesity rate, with 39.4% of adults being obese, and it ranked third overall for the most overweight cities in the country.
The research found some interesting differences in obesity rates based on race, ethnicity, education level, and age in different areas.
Non-Hispanic Black adults had the highest obesity rate at 38%, followed by non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults at 33%.
Non-Hispanic Asian adults had a 0% obesity rate in most states and territories, while non-Hispanic White adults had a 14% obesity rate, which was lower than most groups except for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults.
The study also showed that as the level of education increased in metro areas, the prevalence of obesity decreased. Adults without a high school diploma had the highest obesity rate at 37.6%, followed by those with some college education (35.9%), high school graduates (35.7%), and college graduates (27.2%).
Additionally, the research found that young adults (18–24 years old) were only half as likely to have obesity compared to middle-aged adults (45–54 years old). The obesity prevalence was 20.5% for young adults and 39.9% for middle-aged adults.
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Conclusion
Dealing with obesity is a complicated problem that needs everyone’s involvement. If we all work together to tackle the reasons and effects, we can make our communities healthier for ourselves and the next generation. Improving eating and exercise habits can help lower obesity rates in areas where people aren’t active enough and have unhealthy diets.
Some ideas to address this issue include making it easier for people in low-income neighborhoods to get healthy food and exercise options, encouraging healthy eating in schools and workplaces through policies, giving employers reasons to offer wellness programs, supporting community projects that promote physical activity, and spreading awareness about the health risks of obesity among different groups.
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