Why Are Southerners So Fat?

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People from Mississippi are fat. With an adult obesity rate of 33%, Mississippi gobbled its way to the "chubbiest state" crown for the fifth year in a row, according to a new joint report by Trust For America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee aren't far behind, with obesity rates over 30%. In fact, eight out of the 10 fattest states are in the South. The region famous for its biscuits, barbecue and pecan pies has been struggling with its weight for years — but then again, so has the rest of the country. Wisconsin loves cheese, New Yorkers scarf pizza, and New Englanders have been known to enjoy a crab cake or two. So why is the South so portly? For one thing, it's poor. Mississippi is not only the fattest state in the nation but also the poorest, with 21% of its residents living below the poverty line according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama and West Virginia, the second and third fattest states, are tied for fifth-poorest. With a poverty rate of 14%, the South is easily the most impoverished region in the country. "When you're poor you tend to eat more calorie-dense foods because they're cheaper than fruits and vegetables," explains Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America. Poor neighborhoods also have fewer grocery stores, even in the rural South. A 2004 study by the University of South Carolina found that most food-shopping options in rural areas fall into the "convenience store" category because grocery stores are located too far away. But although poverty puts people at risk for obesity, it doesn't determine their fate. A number of impoverished states — including Montana, Texas and New Mexico — have relatively low levels of obesity. There must be something else. Maybe it's the culture. Southerners definitely enjoy their fried chicken (not to mention fried steak, fried onions, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and fried cornbread). Even when their food isn't fried, they like to smother it in gravy. But while nutritionists frequently blame Southerners' large guts on their regional food choices, the accusation is a little unfair. Just as Californians don't actually live on wheat grass and tofu, Southerners don't really sit around eating fried chicken every day. "I've not come across anything that says the diet in the Southeast is worse than the rest of the country," says Dr. David Bassett, co-director of the University of Tennessee's Obesity Research Center. "We're definitely in what I like to call the 'stroke belt,'" he explains, referring to the Southeastern states' high percentage of heart disease and hypertension, "but I think that has more to do with Southerners' lack of physical activity rather than the food." Bassett isn't just talking about neglected gym memberships and people who sit on the couch all day. Physical activity can be something as simple as walking to the bus stop. That's another problem, by the way: the South doesn't have many bus stops. Public transportation is paltry, and for most people the best way to get around is by car. "You don't really think of riding the train as exercise, but at least you have to walk a few blocks to get to the stop," says Bassett. States like Mississippi and Tennessee also have a surprising lack of sidewalks, discouraging even the most eager pedestrians. Many roads are narrower than those in the North — where streets have wider shoulders to accommodate winter snow — and people who want to bike or jog find themselves uncomfortably close to traffic.

But who wants to exercise when it's 100 degrees outside? The South is really hot and humid. Nobody in Mississippi goes running in the summer — at least, nobody sane. Bassett points out that Colorado, the state with the lowest obesity rate (18.9%), is relatively affluent and has a temperate climate and plenty of trails that lend themselves to outdoor activities.
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  • added July 09, 2009

18 comments // Why Are Southerners So Fat?

  •  

    Well, at least we're number one at something....
    But seriously, I can tell a marked increase just in the last couple of years. Seems young women are huge these days. Wasn't like that when I was at Ole Miss, we had the most beautiful girls in the world (yes, I'm biased). Maybe I just have a high metabolism (or I smoke a pack a day), I'm not a health nut by any means, but I just can't see how people get that big, especially that young, the kids are fatter than their parents. It's too damn hot to be weighing 300 pounds, good Lord, I couldn't take it. That's what I've noticed, the younger generation is the bigger, don't ask me why.

    JohnA
    2 comments on this
  •  

    fried chicken,deep fried turkey, deep fried anything,biscuits and gravy,bacon, sausage, barbque, oh man i miss southern food

    davesarush
  •  

    poorly educated, they don't know how to keep themselves healthy. lazy, obviously.

    you'd think jamaicans and central american nations (south america too) would have soaring obesity rates by that logic.

    shockingly, they don't.

    jh64487
    1 comment on this
  •  

    Consumers consume, that pretty much sums it up..

    metalcookiesxy70
  •  

    if this article were about why gay people are all annoying you would be pissed.....

    spanky07
    1 comment on this
  •  

    poverty.

    occhipij
  •  

    Being an educated Southerner........when you're poor you're going to eat cheap foods. Fruit costs more than junk. Also, family favorites tend to be fried and smothered in gravy. And.....living far out in the country, nobody walks or rides bikes to work. You've got to drive.

    shroomfairy
  •  

    They didnt mention the addictive liquid diabetes, or what southerners like to call it, "sweet tea", most of which, is made with high fructose corn syrup. I remember the 1st time I had sweet tea and i almost gagged. But then McDonnalds started selling the huge cups of it for $1 and my friends and I were hooked. Since then ive weined myself off of it, but people in NC drink it like water, and then wonder why they cant lose weight.

    And about the whole walking thing. Nothing of importance is in walking distance (in BootyAssRaleigh anyway). If you walk, where are you gonna walk to? Probably the bojangles down the street. And by the time you get there, youre thirsty cause its like 95 degrees outside, and guess what youre gonna order? A sweet tea (which will actually dehydrate you more, and then make you fatter.) Ah, the joys of living in the middle of nowhere.

    I_Heart_MAMBOSAUCE
  •  

    Southern food? You mean "crawfish", frogs legs, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, crawfish etouffee, navy beans and rice, kidney beans and rice, black eyed peas and rice (did I mention rice?) ham hocks, and so on. When I was growing up, it was..."Look at that fat person!" Today, morbidly obese people are so common in the south I don't bat an eyelash. I worked on an oil rig 35 miles off the coast of Louisiana, but I figure I've been on dozens of 'em in the Gulf. I did it for 3 years- Twice a week was steak day- Ribeye steak, usually, baked taters, cheddar cheese sauce, smoked sausage, burgers. Every rig has a big iron homemade grill. We also had seafood day- boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, oysters, frogs legs, lobster tails, Alaskan King Crab legs, corn on the cob, hush puppies, french fries, etc. Then there was "fast food day"- corn dogs, pizza, cheese sticks, french fries, burritos, etc. etc. Hot pockets were kept in the freezer, and at least a dozen half gallons of Blue Bell ice cream- "Wedding Cake", "Praline Pecan" "Rocky Road" "Banana Pudding", "Birthday Cake" etc. etc. No other ice cream is even close!! We also had "single serving" quart sizes too. Open one drawer. it was full of candy bars- don't like the selection, open the drawer next to it- again, full of candy bars. We had a cooler full of soda. RC, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, IBC Root Beer, Coca Cola, etc. etc. Every time we got groceries, we averaged about $11,000 worth. But, as to the question Why are Southerners so fat? Beats me!! :)

    unclecharlie
  •  

    fat people are everywhere, not just in the south i don't care what this stupid study finds....Studies are a bunch of crap anyway.....alot of people will believe anything they see on the news or read on this website...just because someone conducts a "study" doesn't make it true.

    spanky07
  •  

    ^ LOL, looks like we've found a fat Southerner.

    calm_incense
    2 comments on this
  •  

    ahhhh, so many reasons for our ever increasing obeisity crisis - medically related, more affordable...BUT...and it's do-able - if none of these saturated fatty foods are in that big white thingy in the kitchen, people will eat anything if they're hungry, and they will get used to it...GREEN...

    eden49

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