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CDC Issues County-Level Obesity, Diabetes Rate Survey

Posted on: Friday, 20 November 2009, 07:20 CST

The CDC’s first-ever county survey of obesity confirms previous study findings which show the highest rate of obesity lies in the areas of the Southeast and the Appalachias.

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention issued its findings in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday.

The CDC acknowledged that while surveillance systems function well at the national or state level, few are able to provide information at the local level, where many policies are implemented.

The report found “distinct geographic patterns in diabetes and obesity prevalence” in the US, with high prevalence in West Virginia, the Appalachian counties of Tennessee and Kentucky, much of the Mississippi Delta, and a southern belt extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, middle Alabama, south Georgia, and the coastal regions of the Carolinas.

It found that 81 percent of counties in the Appalachian region have high rates for diabetes and obesity, while three-fourths of counties in the southern region had high rates.

The report also indicated high obesity and diabetes rates in some isolated counties, including tribal lands in the western United States.

The CDC reported the five counties with the highest rates were Greene and Dallas counties in Alabama and Holmes, Humphreys and Jefferson counties in Mississippi. Each reported obesity rates near 44 percent.

"Diabetes is costly in human and economic terms, and it's urgent that we take action to prevent and control this serious disease," Dr. Ann Albright, director of CDC's division of diabetes translation, said in a statement. "The study shows strong regional patterns of diabetes and can help focus prevention efforts where they are most needed."

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On the Net:

• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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