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Delaware obesity rate increases slightly

State of Obesity report

Delaware is among 25 states with obesity rates exceeding 30 percent.

A national report called the State of Obesity was released this week by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  

It put Delaware’s obesity rate just above 30% at 30.7%. The rate has remained pretty steady over the last few years – and now sits exactly where it was in 2014. It’s down just slightly from the highest percentage in the state’s history – around 31 percent – in 2013, and also slightly higher than that of surrounding states like Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Delaware’s Director of Public Health Dr. Karyl Rattay said in a statement that obesity should be viewed as a complex problem with a variety of causes.

Those causes range from behavior to genetics, and studies have shown obesity disproportionately affects individuals living in poverty. That’s because it can be more challenging to eat healthy on a budget.

But Dr. Rattay says small changes – like replacing sugar sweetened beverages with water or unsweetened ice tea – can make a difference in the long run. The same goes for exercise: she says even a 20-minute walk at lunch or in the evening goes a long way.

 

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