AICR Ever Green, Ever Healthy
October 2007
Topic:Lifestyle
New England Wins for Slimmest US Region
By the American Institute for Cancer Research
A U.S. health advocacy organization released a state-by-state report showing that New England ranks higher than other US regions in fighting the battle of the bulge. The survey included all fifty states and surveyed both children and adults. Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island were among the least obese states. And experts insist these findings reflect more than just a coincidence.
Statistics show New Englanders tend to earn more money and are often better educated than people from other areas of the United States. The low poverty level in New England means people have better access to healthcare and can afford pricier, more nutritious food. As Laura Segal, public affairs director for the Trust for America’s Health, points out "chips are a lot cheaper than pineapple."
Walter Willet, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health says that Northeasterners tend to place a heavier emphasis on the quality of food over quantity, while Midwestern meals, for example, tend to be hearty and rib sticking.
Exercise, like food, may also attribute to why New England has lower rates of obesity than other parts of the country. There are more public destinations within walking distance, lessening the need for constant travel by car. Other Americans rely exclusively on automobile transportation in order to get around, especially in rural areas. Many parts of New England are adorned with bike paths and other exercise trails frequently used by joggers, walkers, bikers and more.
Curiously, the study reports that not all Northeastern states are so slim. Maine
had the highest instance of obesity of all the region’s states. Maine’s public health director, Dora Mills, says the state’s mostly open, rural land makes it necessary for people to travel by car, which might explain the frequency of obesity.
Unfortunately, New England may not relish for long in its status as slimmest region of the country. In recent years obesity rates have actually climbed in New England. Despite having a 10 percent smaller instance of obesity than the state of Mississippi, the rate is still too high according to health experts. Gemma Gorham, nutrition coordinator for Rhode Island’s obesity prevention program says it is essential to stabilize the obesity trend from growing further, in order to reverse the trend.
###
