Is this just a coincidence?

[jasonxctf]

im just asking... not attacking.

 

Mississippi weighed in for the sixth year in a row as the fattest state, with 33.8 percent of its adults obese, while Alabama and Tennessee tied for second (31.6 percent). The other top 10, also concentrated in the south, were West Virginia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina and Michigan tying with North Carolina for 10th place (29.4 percent).

 

So of the Top 10 most obese/fat states, 8 are deep red states with 1 deep blue and 1 in between. (NC)

 

The healthiest states in terms of weight were congregated in the Northeast and West. Colorado (19.1 percent) came in first, followed by Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, Montana and New Jersey. The District of Columbia was the only region to experience a decline in obesity rates.

 

So of the Top 10 healthiest states, 7 are deep blue with 2 deep red and 1 in between. (CO)

 

Again is this a coincidence or is their a correlation between lifestyle and political affiliation?

[NorthSideSox72]

im just asking... not attacking.

 

Mississippi weighed in for the sixth year in a row as the fattest state, with 33.8 percent of its adults obese, while Alabama and Tennessee tied for second (31.6 percent). The other top 10, also concentrated in the south, were West Virginia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina and Michigan tying with North Carolina for 10th place (29.4 percent).

 

So of the Top 10 most obese/fat states, 8 are deep red states with 1 deep blue and 1 in between. (NC)

 

The healthiest states in terms of weight were congregated in the Northeast and West. Colorado (19.1 percent) came in first, followed by Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, Montana and New Jersey. The District of Columbia was the only region to experience a decline in obesity rates.

 

So of the Top 10 healthiest states, 7 are deep blue with 2 deep red and 1 in between. (CO)

 

Again is this a coincidence or is their a correlation between lifestyle and political affiliation?

I'd say its coincidental, in that certain regions of the country have always tended to be fatter (the South), or healthier (the West and New England). It also happens to be, at present, that the red/blue lines up that way.

 

[Texsox]

The stereotypes of granola eating, bicycle riding liberal versus fat cat, cigar smoking, Hummer driving, conservative may be loosly grounded in some small bit of reality.

[jasonxctf]

i used to think that obesity was tied to weather... cold weather=sit in the house and stay warm rather than walk around, tourist stuff, etc.

 

but looking at this list, it seems like the exact opposite.

[JorgeFabregas]

I think you might be better off looking at poverty as opposed to red/blue.

 

I'd also wonder about urban vs. rural/suburban.

[Soxbadger]

All those hippy vegan animal lovers are rail thin. Lets see them fit in a size 0 after eating KFC!

 

I kid I kid.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

i used to think that obesity was tied to weather... cold weather=sit in the house and stay warm rather than walk around, tourist stuff, etc.

 

but looking at this list, it seems like the exact opposite.

 

Look at what they eat down south. This really isn't surprising to me at all. I'm actually surprised Texas isnt on the list since they deep fry pretty much everything haha

[NorthSideSox72]

I think you might be better off looking at poverty as opposed to red/blue.

 

I'd also wonder about urban vs. rural/suburban.

 

 

Look at what they eat down south. This really isn't surprising to me at all. I'm actually surprised Texas isnt on the list since they deep fry pretty much everything haha

 

Both of these.

 

I lived in Tennessee for a few years, and my god are the diets there awful (on average). Also lived in CO, IA, IL. So I've seen some variety.

 

[Texsox]

We missed the obvious, it's the lack of Walmart Superstores and fresh produce . . .

[mr_genius]

We missed the obvious, it's the lack of Walmart Superstores and fresh produce . . .

 

we obviously need a government program to open vegetable stores in Mississippi.

[BigSqwert]

we obviously need a government program to open vegetable stores in Mississippi.

Well at least they can now save money on oil when deep frying everything. They can walk over to the beach.

[Balta1701]

It's not just the deep fried diets. There are 3 other things playing into this:

 

1. Fast food.

2. Sugary Sweets/drinks

3. Lack of exercise options

 

I'm pretty sure that if you plot the numbers for state consumption on the first 2 and exercise time on a map of the states, you wind up with the same basic data as above. It's not just the deep fried okra or the slab of ribs, it's the slab of ribs one day, followed by the McDonalds/Burger King/KFC/Pizza delivery rotation for the rest of the week, with Coca-Cola to wash it down, followed by some time watching the TV.

[LittleHurt05]

i used to think that obesity was tied to weather... cold weather=sit in the house and stay warm rather than walk around, tourist stuff, etc.

 

but looking at this list, it seems like the exact opposite.

 

Some of those spots down south, it gets so damn hot & humid, that you can't leave the house or do anything physical outside either.

[BigSqwert]

It's not just the deep fried diets. There are 3 other things playing into this:

 

1. Fast food.

2. Sugary Sweets/drinks

3. Lack of exercise options

 

I'm pretty sure that if you plot the numbers for state consumption on the first 2 and exercise time on a map of the states, you wind up with the same basic data as above. It's not just the deep fried okra or the slab of ribs, it's the slab of ribs one day, followed by the McDonalds/Burger King/KFC/Pizza delivery rotation for the rest of the week, with Coca-Cola to wash it down, followed by some time watching the TV.

 

My daughter lives in San Antonio and whenever I visit I am blown away by the number of fast food restaurants in that town. It's insane.

[kapkomet]

My daughter lives in San Antonio and whenever I visit I am blown away by the number of fast food restaurants in that town. It's insane.

 

I think that's everywhere now.

[bmags]

we obviously need a government program to open vegetable stores in Mississippi.

 

well, yeah, we could decide to heavily subsidize healthy things instead of corn syrup and meat.

[BigSqwert]

I think that's everywhere now.

Not where I live.

[GoSox05]

Its not just the south. It's that most small towns are just filled with fast food. Usually there is little or no other options.

 

When I went to Tennessee a couple of years ago it was a nightmare trying to find something to eat.

[Balta1701]

The rate of obesity in the United States has increased to an alarming degree. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides data on the state-bystate and nationwide obesity rates. Over the last 20 years, the rates have steadily risen. The nationwide obesity rate is approximately 23.6% (all categories combined – age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status). This study was undertaken to examine the relationships between obesity rates, per capita income, number of the popular fastfood (McDonald’s) restaurants, and number of whole foods grocery stores per capita. Data from previous

studies regarding the causes of obesity, socioeconomic trends and food selection, state-by state obesity rates, use of federal food assistance programs, and the number of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide and nationwide and “Whole Foods” markets is reviewed. Correlation coefficients were computed to determine relationships between 1) state-by-state obesity rates and per capita income, 2) state-by-state obesity rates and McDonald’s per capita, 3) state-by-state per capita income and McDonald’s per capita, and 4) state-by-state per capita income Whole Foods grocery stores per capita. There

was a statistically significant relationship between the obesity rates and number of McDonalds per capita; the 2 were positively correlated (r=0.27; p There was no significant correlation between McDonald’s restaurants per capita and per capita income (r= -01213, p=0.40). There was a significant, positive correlation between the number of “Whole Foods” grocery stores (r = 0.576, p

per capita income. Results of this study indicate that income, and access to fast food restaurants and whole foods markets have some influence over obesity rates.

Actually can't access this paper from here, but there's the abstract

[Texsox]

And the fast food is a result of economics. People with a couple dollars versus people with ten dollars at meal time.

 

 

[Balta1701]

And the fast food is a result of economics. People with a couple dollars versus people with ten dollars at meal time.

There was no significant correlation between McDonald’s restaurants per capita and per capita income (r= -01213, p=0.40).

[NorthSideSox72]

Balta, number of stores doesn't equal level of sales, or % of diet.

 

Look at some of the s***ty neighborhoods in Chicago. There's a McD's every so often, just like the rest of the city, except there ISN'T also a bunch of healthier choices.

 

[Balta1701]

Balta, number of stores doesn't equal level of sales, or % of diet.

With a McDonalds though, it's a decent proxy. They take steps to make sure their franchises don't overgrow demand, like occasionally shuttering stores. There's also a ridiculously high startup franchise fee in the way also (5+ years ago it was >$1 million per store franchise fee).

[Texsox]

With a McDonalds though, it's a decent proxy. They take steps to make sure their franchises don't overgrow demand, like occasionally shuttering stores. There's also a ridiculously high startup franchise fee in the way also (5+ years ago it was >$1 million per store franchise fee).

 

 

Wouldn't most people with a million dollars think twice before committing those resources in a poor neighborhood? It seems like a risk reward formula. Higher risk with higher potential rewards has a store in a poor neighborhood without competition. Lower risk, with lower rewards, operating in a middle class neighborhood.

[BigSqwert]

Wouldn't most people with a million dollars think twice before committing those resources in a poor neighborhood? It seems like a risk reward formula. Higher risk with higher potential rewards has a store in a poor neighborhood without competition. Lower risk, with lower rewards, operating in a middle class neighborhood.

McDonald's is unfortunately part of the food pyramid in poor neighborhoods.