Tuscaloosa Half Marathon 2014
Runners take off at the start of the second-annual Tuscaloosa Half Marathon, Saturday, March 8, 2014, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com
Alabama is getting fatter, even while many people are getting fitter.
The paradox shows up in county-by-county data compiled by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
It is in line with a host of reports ranking the state among the most obese in the country and its cities among the worst in the country. It has prompted a number of efforts by community leaders to combat the trend, especially in Mobile, which tends to rank below the state's other big cities.
Recent initiatives include "Live Better Mobile" and "One Fit Mobile."
Huntsville officials launched an effort there earlier this year called "Healthy Huntsville." Meanwhile, the University of Alabama at Birmingham in January announced an effort to fight the problem by combining a number of different disciplines.
From 2001 to 2009, the percentage of obese Americans jumped by 6.7 percentage points among men and 6.4 percentage points among women, according to the University of Washington data. The increases among Alabama men and women over the same period were 6.4 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively.
At the same time, the percentage of women getting sufficient physical activity increased by 4.7 percentage points nationwide and 1 percent in Alabama. Among men, the rate dipped slightly in Alabama and increased by a percentage point nationwide.
That information comes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a massive survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control in cooperation with the state health departments. Because of a change in methodology, comparisons to the 2011 data are problematic.
The trend is clear, though: Obesity is getting worse just about everywhere. The percentage of obese Alabamians increased among men and women in every single county from 2001 to 2009. Using 2011 data, Greene County had the highest obesity rates for men and women at 43.8 percent and 58 percent, respectively.
The least obesity occurred in Baldwin and Jefferson counties for men, 33.6 percent, and Shelby for women at 32.4 percent.
Alabama does not stack up very well compared to the rest of the nation. Only two counties for men and two for women beat the national average for obesity.
Only Lee County beat the national average for percentage of people getting sufficient physical activity. Among women, no Alabama county beat the national average.
Below, you can see how Alabama counties compare with each other. The first map show male obesity rates, while the second shows female obesity rates. Dark blue means the county met or exceeded the national average; light blue means the county beat the state average. The redder the county, the worse its obesity levels.
Click on any county for detailed information about obesity and physical activity ratings in 2001 and 2009.