Wisconsin appears to have a growing waistline.
A new Department of Health Services report shows at least half of the adults in Wisconsin are either obese or overweight. According to the study, about one in every four Wisconsin adults is considered obese, while 65-percent are considered either overweight or obese.
State Nutrition Program Coordinator Mary Pesik says it's a problem that needs to be addressed through steps such as implementing wellness programs, encouraging healthier eating choices, and providing more opportunities for people to exercise. She says it needs to be treated like an epidemic.
Pesik says there are many reasons for growing obesity rates. She believes a major problem is that we have engineered being active out of our lives and also have easy access to high-calorie foods that are not very nutritious.
Pesik says support and resources are available from the state to help communities fight obesity.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:03)
