Since 1990, number of obese adults has nearly doubled

02:28 PM PST on Wednesday, November 10, 2004

KING5.com

SEATTLE - In an annual survey ranking the health of the United States, Washington and Oregon were among three states with the largest decline in overall score, though they retained their positions on the list, with Washington at No. 15 and Oregon at No. 21.

KING

In Washington, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 13.7 percent to 19.1.

The survey, America's Health: State Health Rankings, sponsored by the United Health Foundation, weighs such factors as health insurance coverage, heart disease rates, the rate of motor vehicle deaths, obesity rates, smoking rates, childhood poverty, and public health spending.

Washington's score dropped because the percentage of children in poverty increased from 13.7 percent to 19.1 and 19.5 percent of the population continued to smoke.

Oregon's score fell because the rate of uninsured population increased to 17.2 percent, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 15.1 percent to 20.1 percent, and per capita public health spending declined from $27 to $19 per person.

"To rank well, you have to demonstrate success across the board," said Dr. Reed Tuckson, an official with the St. Paul-based United Health Foundation.

Even though Washington's prevalence of smoking contributed to its decline in overall score, it is in the top 10 for a low prevalence of smoking at 19.5 percent of the population. That compares with a low of 11.9 percent in Utah and a high of 30 percent in Kentucky.

Most dramatically, the survey shows that since 1990, the number of obese adults in the U.S. has almost doubled, to 22 percent. Physical inactivity and poor nutrition - risk factors that contribute to obesity and overweight - together are the second leading cause of premature death, lagging only tobacco. According to the Partnership for Prevention, one of the sponsors of the survey:

- The direct and indirect costs of obesity in the United States total $117 billion.

- Obesity costs our economy more than 39 million lost work days each year.

AP

Physical inactivity and poor nutrition - risk factors that contribute to obesity and overweight - together are the second leading cause of premature death.

- Three-fourths of the $1.4 trillion the United States spends on health care is to treat chronic illnesses, many of which are tied to obesity and overweight.

The survey also found that there are health disparities in Washington state, as shown by the access to adequate prenatal care: 62.0 percent of pregnant black women receive adequate prenatal care compared to 74.1 percent of pregnant white women.

Minnesota is again the nation's healthiest state, while Louisiana is the least healthy, a ranking it has held for 14 of the last 15 years of a national survey, officials said.

Since the rankings began in 1990, Minnesota has finished first nine out of 15 times, and never sunk lower than No. 2. Last year, it tied for first with New Hampshire.

This year New Hampshire came in second and Vermont third. Finishing at the bottom were Tennessee, Mississippi and in last place, Louisiana.

The nation's health showed improvement in the 1990s, with better public health spending and public education, and decreases in smoking, cardiovascular deaths and violent crime. But there's been little improvement nationwide since 2000 primarily because of the spike in obesity rates, Tucker said.

The United Health Foundation is a nonprofit foundation established by United Health Group, the Minneapolis-based insurance company, to support public health and the work of doctors and other health providers around the country. The group undertakes the yearly study as a joint effort with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.