15-state Southern obesity summit to focus on deadly epidemic

Other participants will include Donna Richardson Joyner, Buns of Steel fitness guru and appointee to the President's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports appointee; and Adewale Troutman, M.D., an associate professor at the University of Louisville and director of the Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness department. A complete schedule is online at www.southernobesitysummit.org.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta show nearly two-thirds of all Americans are either overweight or obese. Nine of the 10 fattest states are in the South. The summit will highlight community-led health initiatives, school-based efforts, personal-responsibility messages and other tactics.

The Southern Obesity Summit is organized by the Austin-based Texas Health Institute in partnership with the UAB School of Public Health, the president's council, the Alabama Department of Health, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors, the Georgia Health Policy Center, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, the National Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health and Shaping America's Health.

*Southern states obesity rankings:

• Alabama – 3rd; 30.1%
• Arkansas – 9th; 28.1%
• Florida – 38th; 23.3%
• Georgia – 11th; 27.5%
• Kentucky – 7th; 28.4%
• Louisiana – 4th; 29.5 %
• Mississippi – 1st; 31.7% obese adults
• Missouri – 13th; 27.4%
• North Carolina- 16th; 27.1%
• Oklahoma – 8th; 28.1%
• South Carolina – 5th; 29.2 %
• Tennessee – 6th; 29.0%
• Texas – 15th' 27.2%
• Virginia – 27th; 25.2%
• West Virginia – 2nd; 30.6%

*Rankings were based on a three-year average of state-by-state statistics for adult obesity percentages from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) of 30 or more.