Social Determinants Grab Spotlight in New Obesity Report
October 28, 2021
Michael Devitt
AAFP
As recently as 2012, no state had an adult obesity rate over 35%.
Today, 48 states have an adult obesity rate of 25% or higher, and in 16 states, the adult obesity rate is 35% or higher.
Those are just some of the findings from The State of Obesity 2021, an annual report from Trust for America’s Health. Published in September with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the 92-page report features a special section that examines the relationship between COVID-19, obesity and social determinants of health, which shows how the pandemic impacted longstanding racial and economic inequities that furthered the obesity crisis throughout the country, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. It also assesses the latest data on adult and childhood obesity rates, reviews current policies and programs, and outlines potential policy actions for federal, state and local agencies.
