3 Ga Counties Make List of 25 U.S. Counties with Sharpest 10-Year Decline in Obesity

Obesity is an ever growing problem in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 42% of American adults are obese – a rate that has doubled in the past 20 years and has nearly tripled over the past 50 years.

Across the country, 2,651 – or 84.6% of- U.S. counties experienced a 10-year increase in obesity rates while just 466 counties (14.9%) saw a decrease in obesity rates.

More recently, MedicareAdvantage.com conducted a study by analyzing the most recent data from the Diabetes Surveillance System for the purposes of looking at trends for counties over the last decade.

The Peach State didn’t fare too well.

Among the findings:

• Aside from having the largest 10-year increase in obesity rates from 2006-2016 in the U.S. (+26.6%), Warren County also had the highest rate of obesity in the nation in 2016 (57.9%).
• Georgia is home to seven of the 22 counties in the U.S. with the most drastic 10-year increase in obesity rates.
• The state of Georgia lays claim to three of the top 11 counties for improved (decreased) rates of obesity.
• Nearly 85% of U.S. counties experienced a 10-year increase in obesity rates

In April 2020, MedicareAdvantage.com reported that obesity is one of the top underlying conditions for people who have complications and are hospitalized with COVID-19, second only to hypertension in people aged 18-64.