The Obesity Epidemic

Fat, obese, overweight, big-boned, hefty, triple-ka-chunk, however you say it, a new study says Americans are unhealthy around their midsections. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study ranks all the states from slimmest to fattest. It also has America talking about just how it got so bad…

We are looking at what this crisis means not just for your waistline, but also for the nation.

We’ll start with NBC’s health correspondent on the Today Show who sees trouble on the horizon and points the finger at America’s not so secret love affair…

“I wonder if America hasn’t peaked and we are really going to have to figure out a way to turn this all upside-down or I don’t think that we can be a world power if we are this unhealthy… Chili’s Smokehouse bacon triple cheese bigmouth burger with added jalapeño-ranch dressing… just go right to the emergency room, 21 syllables, 1900 calories, buy it for an enemy, it’s the equivalent of 42 chicken wings.”

ABC’s Dan Harris takes a look at both the nation’s lack of healthcare and obesity crisis and comes to the conclusion that they are one in the same.

“This crisis is sure to weight all of us down eventually because obese people require more expensive healthcare… as president Obama noted today at a healthcare forum. ‘If we can help somebody control obesity, they are less likely to get diabetes. And if they are less likely to get diabetes that means that we are going to be saving a whole lot of money on hospital costs.’”

For the fifth year in a row, Mississippi is the fattest state- 32 percent of adults there are obese and 45 percent of children are at least overweight. WebMD has spelled out 8 suggestions specifically meant to get that state back in shape.

Among them, rejecting their cultural identification with fried foods, making healthy foods more affordable, and launching a public anti-obesity campaign.P

On the other hand, Colorado is the nation's skinniest state. Denver’s local KCNC-CBS4 takes a look at why.

“Colorado’s reputation as the leanest state in the nation takes work. It’s a combination of sunny weather, public parks and trails, an abundance of activities and a health conscious culture. ‘Its kind of a support group for everybody.’”

CNN has posted an interactive map paired with a body-mass index calculator. This lets you see exactly how fat your state is, then find out whether or not you are to blame.

So what do you think, is America’s obesity out of control and how long can we continue on like this?