Weighing in

By R.L.W. and P.K.

America’s heaviest are holding steady

THE prevalence of adult obesity in America has barely budged. The highest incidence is clustered around the Midwest and South, where around one-third of the population are obese. Colorado is the slimmest state, but since 1990 its obesity rate has grown faster than that of any other state save New Mexico and Oklahoma. In contrast, Washington, DC—which was one of the heftiest places in 1990—now has the second-lowest rate of obesity. The data come from the latest annual survey by America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite a methodology change in 2011 to include mobile-phone only households (to capture poorer and younger populations), these self-reported figures show obesity rates may have plateaued. Moreover, child-obesity rates have also been improving. In time, this should further reduce adult obesity and associated death rates.