SEPTEMBER 2009

That ticking sound you hear is the medical- care time bomb of obese baby boomers heading for the Medicare rolls. The latest annual rankings by the Trust for America’s Health spotlight the growing (in more ways than one) trend of obesity among the “baby boom” generation: In every state, obesity— defined as a BMI of 30 or above—is more common among the oldest boomers, ages 55 to 64, than among current seniors. Overall, adult obesity rates rose in 23 states and failed to decline anywhere.

Mississippi retained its dubious distinction as the fattest state for the fifth straight year, with 32.5% obese, but neighboring Alabama is closing in with 31.2%. West Virgina (31.1%) ranked right behind, followed by Tennessee (30.2%). Colorado remained the leanest state, with a US-low 18.9% of adults obese, followed by Massachusetts at 21.2%.

In a similar report released a week later by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of obese Americans rose from 25.6% in 2007 to 26.1% in 2008. The CDC bases its report on a survey of 400,000 US adults.