It is no secret that as Americans, we are generally overweight. Most people have heard, or read about this national problem, but until you are the one dealing with the health problems associated with obesity, it can be easy to shrug off and not think about.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is calculated from a person’s weight and height and provides a reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems. Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Here is a chart of state by state obesity rates. This should give a good idea of what we are facing as a nation.

2008 State Obesity Rates
State % State % State % State %
Alabama 31.4 Illinois 26.4 Montana 23.9 Rhode Island 21.5
Alaska 26.1 Indiana 26.3 Nebraska 26.6 South Carolina 30.1
Arizona 24.8 Iowa 26.0 Nevada 25.0 South Dakota 27.5
Arkansas 28.7 Kansas 27.4 New Hampshire 24.0 Tennessee 30.6
California 23.7 Kentucky 29.8 New Jersey 22.9 Texas 28.3
Colorado 18.5 Louisiana 28.3 New Mexico 25.2 Utah 22.5
Connecticut 21.0 Maine 25.2 New York 24.4 Vermont 22.7
Delaware 27.0 Maryland 26.0 North Carolina 29.0 Virginia 25.0
Washington DC 21.8 Massachusetts 20.9 North Dakota 27.1 Washington 25.4
Florida 24.4 Michigan 28.9 Ohio 28.7 West Virginia 31.2
Georgia 27.3 Minnesota 24.3 Oklahoma 30.3 Wisconsin 25.4
Hawaii 22.6 Mississippi 32.8 Oregon 24.2 Wyoming 24.6
Idaho 24.5 Missouri 28.5 Pennsylvania 27.7
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