A new report says just over 27-percent of Wisconsinites are obese – the 25th highest in the nation but Wisconsin leads the nations in obesity among blacks at 46-percent. Among black women in Wisconsin, 48-percent are obese.
Rich Hamburg, Deputy Director of the Trust for America’s Health, says they see differences among ethnic groups but particularly socio-economic standings. “There is a strong correlation with poverty rates in states with levels of obesity.”
TAFH and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation co-authored the annual study which found that overall Americans are getting fatter.
Hamburg says the obesity “epidemic” was many years in the making in part a result of people are eating more unhealthy foods and being less active nowadays. He says reversing the trend requires effort from all elements including schools, parents, businesses and government.
