Changes in obesity rates by state from 1985 to 2021

[OnlinePoker]

A Redditor has updated a post they did last year of this. The data comes from the CDC. Shocking, but not shocking.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/y4logi/oc_obesity_rate_in_the_united_states_19852021/

[bullwinkle428]

1. I know I shouldn't be shocked, but WOW - just over the course of my adult life.

[highplainsdem]

2. This is really sad, and it explains most of the type 2 diabetes epidemic, and worsening

rates of some other health problems, as well as being part of rising health care costs.

Btw, this is NOT "fat-shaming" and I want to make that clear before I (or anyone else in this thread, even those just reccing it) get accused of that.

We have a much more sedentary lifestyle than we had 40 years ago, when it was already too sedentary. And we have a food industry that spends vast amounts on advertising to convince us to eat more food, and more unhealthy food, than we should. And we have all too many Americans living in urban food deserts where it's difficult if not impossible (and often prohibitively expensive even when it is possible) to get healthy food, as opposed to junk food. We've also become much more a nation of foodies watching TV shows about food.

The odds are stacked against most Americans maintaining a healthy weight without giving their diet and exercise habits constant attention.

All those people have my sympathies.

But since I have friends and family members whose health has been seriously impacted by obesity, I can't pretend it isn't a problem. Much as I understand the lifestyle habits and advertising pressure that got them to that point.

[Happy Hoosier]

3. Fat doesn't cause diabetes.

Fat and diabetes are coincident. Not the same thing. Fat is often a symptom of insulin resistance. Insulin is a powerful fat storage hormone. High blood sugar leads the secretion of more insulin. More insulin facilitates lipogenesis (conversion of fatty acids to fat) and inhibits the metabolism of fatty acids. Eventually cells are stuffed with glucose and resist insulin signals to take in more. The body attempts to produce more insulin to lower blood glucose. That’s Insulin Resistance. Eventually the Pancreas can’t keep up and even starts to fail. Boom. T2 diabetes.

OBTW, insulin is a very inflammatory and contributes to CHD.

We each far too much sugar and simple carbohydrates, and we “graze” too much… never giving our bodies a chance metabolize carbs and then allow the pancreas to recover for the next influx.

Sorry for this rant… I’ve spent the last two years fighting T2 diabetes (successfully) and I’ve had to wade through piles of outdated advice for T2D.

[highplainsdem]

6. They're linked.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-obesity.html

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-causes.html

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/diabesity-the-connection-between-obesity-and-diabetes/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34986330/

Those are just from near the top of the first page of results of a Google search.

The basic problems are diet and lack of exercise, as I said.

And yes, we eat way too many carbs, especially sugar and simple carbohydrates. And breaks from eating, like intermittent fasting (if not overdone), can help.

I follow what's basically a modified paleo diet myself, and I try to get enough exercise.

[Happy Hoosier]

8. Linked doesn't mean causal....

Those pages are largely outdated and that’s the stuff that T2D have been fed for decades… convincing them they are condemned to a lifetime of medications and many will have to inject insulin. That may be true for many people. But there is TONS of recent data showing that a very low carb diet can reverse Type 2 diabetes. 2 years ago I had an A1C of 10.6. The doctor put me on meds and said I would likely need insulin very soon. As an engineer, my habit is to research any problem I am trying to solve, so I did. There are now multiple studies demonstrating that a very low carb diet can reverse T2D. I brought my A1C down to 5.4. I am off medication. No insulin. As an aside, I lost 150 pounds over 14 months… and I wasn’t deliberately restricting calories, just carbs.

Here is one article covering this: https://diabetesjournals.org/spectrum/article/33/2/133/32999/Low-Carbohydrate-and-Very-Low-Carbohydrate-Diets

[highplainsdem]

9. I'm very familiar with low-carb diets to control/reverse diabetes and reduce weight.

Congratulations on being so successful with yours!

I've urged my friends and relatives with diabetes to check out that information. Unfortunately they tend to prefer to stick to familiar diets and rely on prescription drugs.

One cousin did follow a low-carb diet for a while, brought her weight down and was able to get off diabetes meds, then decided the diet was too difficult and boring and went back to her old habits, with the excess weight and diabetes returnig. She died in her 50s of a heart attack.

I find stories like hers depressing. But I don't underestimate the social pressure that causes the problems, either. And some people do seem to be addicted to wheat. For that matter, while a sedentary lifestyle in itself isn't addictive, binge-watching TV can be, and my family members with the worst weight problems are binge watchers. And screen time is a huge problem for children, who too often seem addicted to it.

[Happy Hoosier]

10. It does require a paradigm shift.

I miss pasta and rice. But I’ve never had a sweet tooth. For me, the diet doesn’t feel too restrictive except when on the road. I love meat. I love cheese and butter. I love cruciferous (sp?) vegetables, so I’m pretty content. My wife has a huge sweet tooth and loves bread. It’s much harder for her.

[Yavin4]

4. The inevitable result of a multiple generations of car dependency.

Human beings are not designed to drive a car all of the time. We are supposed to be walking.

[Celerity]

5. two snapshots, just wow

[sl8]

7. Is this based on BRFSS?

The CDC warns not to compare pre- and post-2011 estimates based on BFRSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html

Map: Overall Obesity
Prevalence† of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults by State and Territory, BRFSS, 2021
†Prevalence estimates reflect BRFSS methodological changes started in 2011. These estimates should not be compared to prevalence estimates before 2011.