This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The number of obese adults in Utah is decreasing, but recent federal data show that more than 1 in 5 adults in the state still are obese.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released 2015 data on the prevalence of obesity across the U.S. using self-reported information.
Not a single state had a rate less than 20 percent.
Utah's rate of obesity dropped to 24.5 percent in 2015 from 25.7 percent in 2014, according to the state Department of Health.
That makes Utah one of only six states — joined by California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Montana — and Washington, D.C., with a rate between 20 percent and 25 percent, the CDC reported.
But the state's obesity rate still is concerning, said Rebecca Fronberg, the department's Healthy Living Through Environment, Policy & Improved Clinical Care Program manager.
In the U.S., more than one-third of adults are obese. Related health problems include heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
In 2008, the estimated yearly health care cost of obesity was $147 billion in the U.S., according to the CDC.
With funding from the CDC, the program works to decrease obesity rates by "helping to make the healthy choice the easy choice."
For example, they work with local health departments and others to make physical activity more available to Utahns by adding sidewalks and bike lanes, Fronberg said.
She added that the program also promotes public transportation rather than driving vehicles, among other things.
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