Community Corner
Local Obesity Rates Rise
The obesity rate in Wayne County has increased 6.3 percent over the last 10 years. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are considered obese.
The obesity rate in Wayne County has increased 6.3 percent from 31.8 percent in 2001 to 38.1 percent in 2011, a new study by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests.
In comparison, the change in obesity among men and woman in Monroe County rose nearly 11 percent from 31.3 percent in 2001 to 41.8 percent. Washtenaw County only saw an increase of 5.9 percent over the same period. Macomb County, 9.1 percent.
-Andrew Thurlow
Obesity, which contributes to the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, increased dramatically in the past 20 years. More than one-third of U.S. adults are considered obese. For children and adolescents, it’s 17 percent.
While enjoying holiday dinner with your friends or family, you might want to rethink eating that extra slice of pie.
But there is some good news. For the first time in recent years, obesity among preschool-aged children in poor families actually went down.
Nonetheless, about 300,000 deaths each year are still attributed to obesity.
How to Use the Map
The interactive map above shows the change in the obesity rate for men or women across the state between 2001-2011. Using your cursor, you can click on a county and see a popup window with the rates of obesity in 2001 and 2011, and the rate of change for that area. Use the button on the top of the interactive to change the map to represent either men or women.
What do you think explains the differences across the area of the change in obesity rate? Tell us in a comment or a blog post.
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