As news for travel nurse professionals, a Gallup poll has unveiled the cities in the U.S. with the thinnest and fattest populations. Boulder, Colorado, had the lowest obesity rate with just 12.4 percent of city residents deemed overweight. As for large communities with a population of over 1 million, Memphis, Tennessee, had the highest rate at 31.9 percent.
Across the U.S., more than one-third of adults are obese, according to the Journal of American Medicine. No state has met the goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 initiative to lower obesity prevalence to 15 percent, and only one U.S. metropolitan area has hit the target. As travel nursing professionals may know, obesity is measured by calculating a person's body mass index (BMI) score, which factors in height and weights. Adults who have a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese.
The fittest major U.S. communities were Denver-Aurora, Colorado, San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, while the heaviest communities were Memphis, Tennessee, San Antonio, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia.
This data mirrors the state level results for 2013, which found that West Virginia and Mississippi were the most obese states, whereas Montana and Colorado were the least obese.
Colorado slim and obesity's health implications
The Gallup's results marked another notch in Boulder's short belt, as it had the lowest obesity rate in five out of the last six surveys conducted since Gallup and Healthways began the study in 2008. But it wasn't just "The Berkeley of the Rockies" that took home a health victory. Three areas in Colorado – Boulder, Fort Collins-Loveland and Denver-Aurora – were listed among the communities with the 10 lowest obesity rates. This may not come as a surprise, since the area is famous for its outdoor recreation and mountainous landscapes.
The regions that those in travel nursing jobs should be concerned about are Memphis, San Antonio and Richmond. As you know, being overweight comes with a slew of health problems, ranging from heart disease to high cholesterol to Type 2 diabetes. Overweight and obese individuals also have a much higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
"Rising obesity rates have significant health consequences for both individuals and communities of all sizes. Numerous social, environmental, economic, and individual factors may all contribute to physical inactivity and consumption of less healthy foods, two lifestyle behaviors linked to obesity," Janna Lacatell, Healthways' lifestyle solutions director, said in a statement obtained by Gallup.
To put the obesity issue in perspective, for example, it translates into a 5-foot-9-inch adult who weighs 203 or more pounds. Health experts attribute the three cities' poor fitness levels to insufficient education on nutrition and exercise, especially among the poor. There's a direct correlation between obesity and poverty, as those who have a lower income try to stretch their budget by buying cheaper, processed foods.
"In order to combat the trend and encourage individuals to make healthier choices, community-based policy and environmental approaches can, and should, be used," Lacatell concluded.