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Health reform passes hurdle in Senate
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Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
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Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
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Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
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Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
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Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
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Four area football teams play tonight
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Headed For Disaster
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Will Health Care Reform Pass?
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Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
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Ohio's 28.1 percent obesity rate ranks 17th in nation, CDC reports
By Federica Narancio
McClatchy Newspapers
Published on Friday, Jul 18, 2008
WASHINGTON: More than a quarter of Americans self-report that they're obese, and in three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee — more than 30 percent do, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Colorado had the lowest reported obesity rate: 19.3 percent. Ohio recorded the 17th highest obesity rate among the states, at 28.1 percent.
The 2007 national average of 25.6 percent compares with a 23.9 percent obesity rate in 2005, the CDC said. Actual obesity is likely to be greater, because the figures are based on self-estimated height and weight from telephone health surveys of 350,000 people.
Obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or above. It's calculated using height and weight. A 5-foot-9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds, for example, would have a BMI of 30.
The South reported the highest obesity rate: 27 percent. In part, experts blame Southern eating habits, poverty and demographic groups that have higher obesity rates.
The 2007 findings are similar to results from the same survey the three previous years. Mississippi has had the highest obesity rate every year since 2004. But Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia and Louisiana have also clustered near the top of the list, often so close that the difference between their rates and Mississippi's may not be statistically significant.
The South has had high death rates from heart disease and stroke, health risks that have been linked to obesity, some experts noted.
In the Midwest, the obesity rate was 25.3 percent, compared with 23.3 percent in the Northeast and 22.1 percent in the West.
Men and women in their 20s were the leanest, according to the CDC. Those in their 50s were most likely to be obese.
Dr. William Dietz, the director of the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, offered this advice: ''Eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.''
The CDC study only surveyed adults, but results for children are similar, said Dr. Miriam Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON: More than a quarter of Americans self-report that they're obese, and in three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee — more than 30 percent do, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Get the full article here.
