Free Republic

AMERICANS are getting fatter in every state, with the exception of Oregon, and those living in the southeast are the most likely to be obese, according to a report issued today. Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity, with 29.5 per cent of adults classified as obese in 2004. In Colorado, the slimmest state, just 16 per cent of adults are obese, the Trust for America's Health found. Oregon's rate of 21 per cent was unchanged. "We have a crisis of poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the US and it's time we dealt with it," said Shelley Hearne, executive...

PEOPLE living in inner-city concrete jungles surrounded by graffiti are more likely to be obese than those from more green areas, a study has revealed. Research has suggested that where people live may be linked to levels of obesity and physical activity. Evidence also suggests that high levels of "incivilities" - such as litter and graffiti - are linked to poor health. Researchers from the British Medical Research Council studied whether living in less pleasant areas was linked to higher levels of obesity among adults. And it was ... about 50 per cent higher