DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado adults are slimmer than anywhere but the capital and the land of beaches, according to new data.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released dashboard data this week of its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a range of health and wellness metrics for U.S. states and territories in 2021.
Colorado has long been ranked one of the healthiest U.S. states, with a pool of active residents and a fitness-friendly culture that prizes both gym time and outdoor recreation. Tobacco use is low, and income and education levels are high.
In addition to the nation’s lowest rates of heart disease and diabetes, Colorado also has the second-lowest obesity levels among U.S. states.
According to the CDC, 25.1% of Colorado’s adult report obesity. Only Hawaii has a lower rate among U.S. states, with 25% of adults reporting obesity. The District of Columbia has the lowest of all states, territories and federal districts, with 24.7% of adults reporting obesity.
Obesity rates tend to track with state education levels. Nationally, the south and midwest have the highest obesity rates. West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama lead the nation in obesity.
Meanwhile, the West Coast and eastern corridor have the lowest rates, including California, Washington and New Jersey.
The CDC reports insufficient data for Florida.
Colorado’s svelteness isn’t limited to a single subset of the state’s residents. Each of its racial and ethnic groups ranks among the nation’s lowest obesity rates, including the groups with historically high obesity.
Among the states with sufficient enough data, Colorado’s non-Hispanic Asians have the lowest obesity rates within that group nationally. About 6.9% report obesity. On average, obesity rates among non-Hispanic Asian adults are about one-third of the national average.
Among non-Hispanic whites, Colorado has the second-lowest obesity rate among U.S. states, again only beaten by Hawaii and Washington, D.C.
Among states, Colorado also has the fourth-lowest rate of obesity among Hispanic adults, the 12th-lowest rate among American Indians and Alaska Natives, and the eighth-lowest rate among Black or African American adults.