obesity
65% of adults in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region are obest or overweight, according to a new report released by Interact for Health.
 
The national average is 63% obese/overweight.
 
“The overall rates are comprable but the difference is in the obese category, said Jamie Love, Program Officer, Healthy Eating and Active Living, Interact for Health.
 
More than three in ten adults (33 percent) in Greater Cincinnati were obese in 2013, compared to less than 3 in 10 (28 percent) in the nation in 2012. Obesity in the region has grown over the past several years, and the region is now worse than the national Healthy People 2020 goal of a 30.5 obesity rate.
 
Results are from the 2013 Greater Cincinnati Community Health Status Survey (CHSS). 
 
Obesity affects general health 
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity is a major risk factor for certain types of cancer and preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Also, obesity is costly to the public health system, with 2013 estimates for Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at $12 billion in obesity-related health costs. 
 
In Greater Cincinnati, nearly 8 in 10 adults (76 percent) with poor health are overweight or obese, while less than 6 in 10 (56 percent) with excellent or very good health are overweight or obese. Also, a person with poor health is more likely to be obese than just overweight. 
 
Race influences obesity
 
“Obesity is not evenly distributed across all groups in Greater Cincinnati,” Love said in a news release. “African Americans have higher overweight and obesity rates than whites.”
 
Nearly eight in ten African Americans (75 percent) are overweight or obese compared to six in ten whites (64 percent). Unlike other races, African Americans are also more likely to be obese than overweight (4 out of 10 are obese and 3 out of 10 are overweight) versus Whites (3 out of 10 are obese, 3 out of 10 overweight). 
 
More information about Greater Cincinnatians rate of obesity and other topics is available online by clicking here.

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