Texas 15th-Most Obese State

The latest data from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) ranks Texas 15th in the nation for adult obesity and 10th in the nation for adult physical inactivity. More than 30 percent of Texans 18 and older are obese and more than 65 percent of them are either overweight or obese. These numbers are already taking a medical toll on the population: 11 percent of Texans have diabetes, and 31 percent have hypertension. Texas ranks 10th for childhood obesity with nearly 20 percent of adolescents aged 10-17 obese.

RWJF warns obesity can bring with it a host of related health problems, including maternal health conditions, obesity-related cancers, kidney disease, arthritis, dementia, depression, and anxiety. If Texas continues this way, RWJF projects heart disease cases will rise from 1.26 million in 2010 to 5.69 million in 2030, and obesity-related cancer will increase from nearly 330,000 to more than 810,000.

Despite these grim statistics, obesity rates in many U.S. cities and states have leveled off or declined, even among young children in low-income families, writes RWJF Senior Vice President John. R. Lumpkin, MD, MPH. This is good news, since “research shows that kids who receive a healthy start in life stand a much better chance of graduating college, earning higher-paying jobs, avoiding chronic diseases, and living longer lives,” Dr. Lumpkin says.

Read the full report.