How Fat is Louisiana? It’s Time to Push Back from the Table…

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When it comes to groceries in Louisiana, we are heads and shoulders above the rest and because of that, we tend to carry a little extra. So where do we rank in the Bayou State when it comes to obesity? Believe it or not, we're not #1!

There's no doubt in my mind that the current pandemic we're trying to emerge from has been deadly. However, we're also in the midst of an epidemic of obesity in this country. I am personally overweight and you would be shocked to find out how hard it is for someone, with insurance mind you, to get medical or surgical help for weight loss. Heck, I'd hit my knees for just a few sessions with a dietician or nutritionist, but that's neither here nor there. In fact, according to ObesityCampaign.org, the U.S. spends over $200 billion each year in health costs related to obesity. They also point out that 21% of medical costs in our country can be attributed to obesity. That's a staggering amount of money and it's been going on like this for a while now. Why aren't we being more proactive when it comes to getting people the help they need?

WalletHub.com can't answer why our medical professionals aren't being more proactive when it comes to helping patients maintain a healthy weight, but they have taken a look at the state of obesity in the U.S. For once, Louisiana isn't leading the pack. No, we're not the most obese state in the union, but we're not exactly svelte either, coming in as the 8th most obese state in America for 2021.

The news doesn't get much better from there. Louisiana comes in first as the state with the highest percentage of adults with high cholesterol and for adults eating less than one serving daily of fruits and vegetables. We rank 4th when it comes to the number of adults with Type 2 Diabetes, the percentage of adults who are physically inactive, and the number of adults who are obese. Whoa!

While I don't have all of the answers, I'm thinking maybe we should eat less and move more. I also think coverage for medical support should be available. We should also probably leave alone the gumbo alone!