Whether it’s a boot camp touting a tried-and-true LA weight loss system or a fad diet that may or may not work, the weight loss industry is booming. And why is that? Obesity is on the rise. Even years after it has been established that many Americans have a serious problem when it comes to being overweight or obese, matters don’t really seem to have improved. In 2009, it was shown that there were 23 states in which the percentage of the population that was obese increased. There were no states in which that rate dropped, showing that encouraging people to eat better and find a weight loss workout program that works for them hasn’t done a lot to help the problem.
The state with the highest rate of obesity was Mississippi, with an adult obesity rate of 32.5% and 44.4% of children from 10 to 17 either obese or overweight. There are three other states in the South with obesity rates over 30% — the South as a whole has more states that rank worst on the list for obesity rates than any other region in the country. Perhaps it’s because rich foods are a tradition in the area? Colorado has the lowest rate of people who could benefit from improved diets and weight loss summer camps, with an adult obesity rate of 18.9%.