Like our collective bellies, this problem is getting bigger and bigger.

According to new research from the Trust For America’s Health and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the obesity epidemic continues to explode in the United States:

According to the most recent data, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states.

To put that into perspective, there were no states over 20% back in 1991.

There appears to be some sort of geographic link to the obesity issue, since nine of the 11 heaviest states are in the South, while 22 of the top 25 are either in the South or Midwest.

There is a silver lining (or is that Long John Silver's lining?) to the newest data, though. Adult obesity rates actually fell in Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio), marking the first time any state saw a decrease over the last 10 years. Colorado, incidentally, has the lowest obesity rate among adults in the country, at 20.2%, followed by Washington, D.C. (22.1%) and Hawaii (22.7%).

Highest Adult Obesity Rates in the U.S.

1. Louisiana - 36.2%
2. (tie) Alabama - 35.6%
2. (tie) West Virginia - 35.6%
2. (tie) Mississippi - 35.6%
5. Kentucky - 34.6%
6. Arkansas - 34.5%
7. Kansas - 34.2%
8. Oklahoma - 33.9%
9. Tennessee - 33.8%
10. (tie) Missouri - 32.4%
10. (tie) Texas - 32.4%

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