Community Corner

Are Men And Women Getting Fatter In Contra Costa County?

Obesity is responsible for over 300,000 US deaths annually. Find out how fat our county is.

By Heather Martino

America’s epidemic of fatness extends all the way to Contra Costa County, with obesity rates at 30.8 percent for women and 31.8 men percent in 2011. Using the map above, you can see the rate was only 23.3 for men and 28.7 for women in 2001.

Obesity in California increased less than in Contra Costa County, with a 5.3 percentage point increase for men and 5.5 point increase for women in the same time period.

Compared to neighboring Alameda County, Contra Costa County residents are slightly larger.

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But compared to other states, Contra Costa County residents are slimmer than the national average of 33.8 percent in men and 36.1 percent in women. In 2011, obesity prevalence for both genders in the U.S. ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

These figures were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington.

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According to the CDC, obesity affects more than one-third of adults, or 35.7 percent of the population in the United States. Obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. “Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release. Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”

In this week's real estate story, Lamorinda Patch has highlighted two homes that have high walkability scores and therefore are conducive to exercise.

The good news is that there may be silver lining to America’s fat epidemic. While we’re still getting fatter, at least it’s happening at a slower rate than in past years. And if this rate continues to drop, Contra Costa County might soon be reporting slimmer, healthier residents.



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