Nearly 25% of Howard County is Obese, Data Show

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently ranked Maryland as the 22nd most obese state in the nation. 

At 28.3 percent, Maryland’s obesity rate in 2011 was up more than 1 percent compared with the previous year.

Colorado ranked the lowest with 20.7 percent of adults considered obese in 2011, while Mississippi was highest at 34.9 percent. 

In Howard County, 24.8 percent of adults were obese, according to the CDC's 2009 report, the most recent county data available.

The highest obesity rate among adults in the state of Maryland that year was Somerset County at 39.6 percent, while Montgomery County had the lowest in the state with 18.3 percent.

Nationally, about 35.7 percent of adults are considered obese, meaning they have a body mass index (a number calculated using a person’s height and weight) of 30 or higher. 

A 2008 study from the CDC showed that medical costs associated with obesity totaled about $147 billion.

The Horizon Foundation, a wellness-centered philanthropy organization in Howard County, has taken up the cause of challenging what it calls the obesity "epidemic," specifically among children. 

"In Maryland, almost one child out of every three is overweight or obese," wrote Nikki Highsmith Vernick, the Horizon Foundation's president/CEO, in a recent blog post. She noted that obesity can lead to life-threatening health conditions and early death.

To combat the problem, the Horizon Foundation plans to launch a sugary beverage awareness campaign this fall, according to its website.

"If we can eliminate even one sugary drink a day from a child's life, we can cut out pounds and save lives," said Vernick. "Let's rethink what we drink and begin to reverse our childhood obesity epidemic."

Blogger HoCo Connect posted Tuesday, Aug. 14, that the cause goes beyond drinks, and "reducing obesity in the County" has become the Horizon Foundation's "highest priority."

Do you think obesity is a problem in Howard County? Tell us in the comments.