Let’s face it, we know how to cook in Acadiana. There’s nothing to stop me from gumbo, lobster etouffee, jambalaya, shrimp poboys, and other great Louisiana foods. But I know I need to learn to be a little restrained and maybe even learn how to make my favorites with lighter ingredients.
All that good food can be a problem for our waistlines. WalletHub’s latest rankings rank Louisiana 8th of the most overweight and obese states in America. At least we’re not number one. WalletHub examines a variety of criteria to determine how each state and the District of Columbia fare in the rankings.
One of the biggest takeaways from the information is that Louisiana ranks 11 in terms of the number of people dying from obesity problems. Our obesity rate in the state of Louisiana is between 35% and 42%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And did you know that obesity is more expensive for us? I am considered obese. As obese people, we pay more than $ 1,429 each year to treat our related diseases. Things related to obesity can be heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases.
Other statistics that are likely to blow your mind include the rise in obesity since 2000. The following is from the CDC:
From 1999-2000 to 2017-2018, the obesity prevalence in the US increased from 30.5% to 42.4%. At the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity rose from 4.7% to 9.2%.
The Louisiana Department of Health has several resources on its website to help Louisians looking to lose weight. When you click here, the website has 65 healthy recipes to incorporate into your routine. These are some of the things that can be done to begin a path to obesity reduction when we are ready.
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