Obesity sees an alarming rise in the U.S.

The rate of adult obesity increased in six U.S. states and fell in none last year, and in more states than ever-20-at least 30% of adults are obese, an analysis released on September 4 announced.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - These conclusions were reported by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and were based on federal government data.

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This new analysis suggests that the problem may be worsening despite widespread publicity about the nation's obesity epidemic and countless programs aimed at address it.

This data is even more alarming if compared to 2011 to 2012, when the rate of obesity increased in only one state.

The 2013 adult obesity rate exceeds 20% in every state, while 42 have rates above 25%. For the first time two states, Mississippi and West Virginia, rose above 35%. The stats for the previous year showed that only 13 states were above 30% and 41 had rates of at least 25%.

Adult obesity rates increased last year in the following states: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Nationally, obesity rates remained at about one-third of the adult population, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, while just over two-thirds are overweight or worse.

There is good news though, rates of childhood obesity have leveled off, with about one in three 2-to-19-year-olds overweight or obese in 2012, comparable to rates over the last decade.

Continuing a trend that has been going on for years, nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South. The West and Northeast had the healthiest BMIs, with Colorado boasting the lowest adult obesity rate, 21.3%.

Economics also plays a large role in the likelihood of a person being obese. One-third of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year are obese, compared with one-quarter of the population who earn at least $50,000.

"Obesity rates are unacceptably high, and the disparities in rates are profoundly troubling," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of TFAH.

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