Statewide Iowa — A new report finds more than one in every three adult Iowans is obese, ranking Iowa in the bottom tier of states.
Rhea Farberman, director of policy research at Trust for America’s Health, says the organization’s annual report tracks obesity rates by age, race or ethnicity, and state of residence.
Iowa’s childhood obesity rate, for children ages ten to 17, is now at 17-percent, which is a slight increase from a year ago. The report says obesity is estimated to increase U.S. healthcare spending by 170-billion dollars every year.
Farberman says there’s a link between obesity rates and food insecurity. She says families that don’t have the money to provide enough food for themselves often turn to cheaper foods that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value. Obesity rates have risen sharply nationwide over the past decade and Farberman says obesity prevention programs need to be launched or expanded in more communities in Iowa and nationwide.
Iowa is among 19 states with adult obesity rates over 35 percent, what she describes as crisis-level. See the full report, “State of Obesity 2022: Better Policies for a Healthier America,” at the Trust for America’s Health website.
