Study Finds Percent of Obese Arkansans Higher than National Average

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 28.7 percent of Arkansans were considered obese in 2008.

The study rated 26.1 percent of adults nationwide as obese.

In Arkansas the rates ranged from a low of 25 percent obese in Washington County to a high of 36.3 in Phillips County in eastern Arkansas.

The CDC uses body mass index to define obesity. The formula uses a combination of height and weight to determine the amount of body fat.

Carroll County Health Unit administrator Sherri Plumlee says using only a body mass index can lead to problems – such as labeling an athlete as obese because muscle weighs more than fat.

Information from: The Daily Siftings Herald, http://www.siftingsherald.com/