Thu, Aug 31, 2006 (7:27 a.m.)

A new study shows that 21 percent of Nevadans are obese. This is bad enough, but look at the rest of the country: In comparison with the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, Nevada is only the 42nd fattest.

Mississippi is ranked as the nation's leading state for obesity, with 29.5 percent of its population being placed in that category. No state is meeting the national goal of only 15 percent of its population being obese. Colorado is the leanest state according to the study, yet 16.9 percent of its population is overweight enough to be classified as obese.

The study was released this week by Trust for America's Health, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. Its conclusions were obtained by averaging the results of annual random telephone sampling conducted throughout the country over the past three years.

Two of the most troubling findings were that obesity rates rose in 31 states (not including Nevada) over the past year, and that obesity exceeds 25 percent in 13 states. Also troubling was that nine of the top 10 states for obesity were in the South, suggesting that regional norms, rather than personal choice, are the most influencing factors in obesity rates.

Obesity is linked to shorter life spans and such health problems as diabetes and heart disease.

The study group offered recommendations for both the government and the private sector, including: Employers should offer nutrition counseling and subsidized health club memberships. The federal government should offer more health screenings for Medicaid recipients, and local governments should approve zoning and land-use laws that make it easier for people to walk or ride bicycles.

With obesity affecting individual health and the cost affecting all taxpayers, states and communities should work together on trimming down.

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