Lowest Obesity Levels in Rocky Mountain State for Third Year in a Row

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Colorado is the only state in the nation that has obesity levels below 20%, making it the least obese state since 2010. On the other hand, West Virginia boasts the highest obesity rate, with 33.5% of residents surveyed reporting that they are obese. This is more than 7% higher than the national average of 26.2%. With the exception of four states, there was little change in obesity levels from 2011 to 2012. Delaware was the only state that experienced a slight decrease in obesity levels while obesity rates increased in Georgia, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

As expected, Colorado also had the lowest rates of high blood pressure with only 22% of residents reporting high blood pressure, followed by 23.8% of Minnesotans, and 24.6% of Wyoming residents. West Virginia had the highest level of high blood pressure in the country, with 39.7% of residents reporting high blood pressure, followed by 38.4% if Mississippi residents, and 36.4% of residents in Alabama.

Additionally, many of the states with the lowest obesity levels and lowest rates of high blood pressure also had the lowest diabetes rates. Only 6% of Alaskans reported that they were suffering from diabetes, followed by 7.4% Colorado residents, and 8.1% of Montana residents.  In Mississippi, 15.4% of residents surveyed reported that they had diabetes, marking the highest diabetes rate for any state. West Virginia came in a close second, with 15.2% of residents suffering from diabetes, followed by 13.6% of residents in Alabama.

Demographics of Residential Care Facilities Residents

The U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services recently released a data brief detailing the demographics of Americans living in State-Funded Residential Care Facilities (RCF), such as those living in assisted living communities. In 2010, 733,300 citizens lived in RCF’s. Of those, 91% of were non-Hispanic whites, and 70% were female.  Almost 2 in 10 were Medicaid beneficiaries.  Younger residents, those under 65, were the most likely to have Medicaid, with 56% receiving benefits.  The majority of residents were 85 and older, with 54% falling into the oldest age group.  Chronic medical conditions were highly prevalent as well, with more than three quarters of residents possessing at least 2 of the 10 most common chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  More than a quarter of residents suffered from four or more of these chronic illnesses.