Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according toF as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

In addition, the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.

Some additional findings:

  • The current economic crisis could exacerbate the obesity epidemic by rising food prices making it more difficult for families to eat healthy foods.
  • Nineteen states now have nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements.
  • Twenty-seven states have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales.
  • Baby Boomers have a higher rate of obesity compared with previous generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, obesity-related costs to Medicare and Medicaid are likely to grow significantly because of the large number of people in this population and its high rate of obesity. Estimates of the increase in percentage of obese adults range from 5.2 percent in New York to 16.3 percent in Alabama.