OFFICE OF GOV.

TOPEKA—Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, a physician, issued the following statement Thursday in regards to new data that shows Kansas was the only state in the nation to reduce the adult obesity rate in 2016.

The State of Obesity is a project of the Trust for America’s Health
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“I applaud Kansans for leading the nation in reducing obesity,” said Colyer, a Hays native.

“Losing weight is often a difficult task, and I am very proud of the residents of our state who took the initiative to improve their health and wellness. While there is still a tremendous amount of progress that can be made in this area, our state is proving to the country that significant reduction in obesity is an achievable goal.”

Adult Obesity in the United States
Updated August 31, 2017: According to the most recent data, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in five states, 30 percent in 25 states, and 25 percent in 46 states. West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate at 37.7 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 22.3 percent. The adult obesity rate decreased in Kansas between 2015 and 2016, increased in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, and West Virginia, and remained stable in the rest of states. This supports trends that have shown overall leveling off of obesity rates in recent years.