What is Digg?161 Comments
- punkcat, on 07/04/2008, -11/+72change "fat" to "dumbest" and i bet the list stays the same.
- Pvisi111, on 07/03/2008, -2/+54That cat is ridiculous. I think he (or she) might be fatter than any of these states.
- branndon, on 07/04/2008, -5/+52The 2008 chart is missing the number 9 because seven ate nine.
- ByronT, on 07/04/2008, -0/+26can had too many cheezburgers
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+22Black people are the ethnic group in the US with the highest obesity rates.
While some argue that it is because of the quality of food (ie cheap, processed foods) that contribute, American black culture is not as disdainful of obesity as other ethnic groups and it is in fact seen as attractive for some women. A New York Times article citing CDC data says that for black women, the rate can be as high as 50% at some ages, 40s and 50s.
States that have a large proportion of the ethnic group most likely to be obese are also likely to have higher obesity rates than some states. While that does not completely explain the discrepancy in weight differences, it most assuredly DOES have a large impact in the South. - metapop, on 07/04/2008, -3/+23as an american who has lived overseas in a city where i walked everywhere, i think i may have some insight to some reason why americans are overweight, and it's not eating habits or political party (i can't believe some commenters on here equate living in a red state to being fat, what a gross generalization). older towns which developed prior to cars being invented naturally evolved with walking in mind, and naturally promote a pedestrian lifestyle. i lived in budapest, and it simply didn't make sense to own a car, which is the case in many older cities. small family-owned food stores were right at the bottom of the building, as they have been for 80 years or more. the basic necessities of life could be found within 2 blocks, because that's the way it's always been there. however, as time went by, and people began to rely on cars as a part of life, cars became such a crutch that cities were designed around cars... and people became less dependant on walking. larger stores which had everything (walmart) replaced smaller local stores, and found cheaper real estate outside the city, because they knew people would be willing to drive 10 minutes to get there... but walking to these places is out of the question, and the mom and pop stores no longer exist. for the most part, not even public transportation goes there, because the vast majority of americans own cars. by simply walking as a daily part of life, i lost 20 something pounds over the first year. this is consistent with the data from the article, as the north east was developed prior to vehicles and the west coast has many more "walking" towns than any other area of the U.S.... i do believe food and habits have something to do with obesity, but i eat healthier here than i did in europe, and still managed to lose weight. basically- americans are a product of their environment which has been shaped by technology, our reliance on vehicles, and sprawl, and until a new system of living which involves walking develops, no amount of dieting will replace even a nominal amount of activity every day.
- catch-22, on 07/04/2008, -3/+20With the exception of Michigan, they're all south of the Mason-Dixon line. Why does that not surprise me?
- EarlOfLade, on 07/04/2008, -4/+20Overlay the data with the most religious, the most right wing and the lowest IQ and you'll see a pattern.
- nafai, on 07/03/2008, -3/+19I thought for sure Wisconsin would be in the top 10 ... at least we win on alcohol consumption!
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_alc_con_bin_d ... - enki25, on 07/04/2008, -10/+25The 10 fattest states are also the 10 most republican states, what a ***** surprise. What do you want to bet they're also the 10 stupidest states as well?
- ironeus, on 08/01/2008, -0/+13I thought Texas usually makes the top 10. & to double-comment: is this cat for real or photoshopped?
- drmangrum, on 07/04/2008, -0/+13Maybe because that is where the majority of the poor are. Most of the people in the southern states average around a 35k a year. When your choices are pre-packaged food, poor quality beef ( ground ), and hot dogs, you're probably not going to be too healthy.
- luet, on 07/04/2008, -2/+13But what will the conclusions be...
Religion makes you dumb and fat?
Stupidity makes you fat and religious?
DUMB FAT PEOPLE MAKE YOU CHRISTIAN - inactive, on 07/04/2008, -1/+11That's racist! you're supposed to link it to Republicans, religiosity, and/or all around regional bigotry. /s
- KMartSheriff, on 07/04/2008, -0/+9As a fellow Californian, that was a pretty jackass comment.
- DangerCollie, on 07/04/2008, -1/+10I really do think there's a correlation. Not saying every heavy person is stupid, but it does seem strangely coincidental how fat, dumb, religious and Republican line up.
- Shaman760, on 07/04/2008, -4/+13My home state FTW
Next to nearly every church sits a Ryan's Buffet. - inactive, on 07/04/2008, -1/+10Dugg for the fat cat thumbnail.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+9Thanks for a rational analysis instead of relying on regional stereotypes to insult political officiations
Though in many of those states walking is a joke, besides the places not being set-up for it .. i.e. long distances between many locations, and lack of public transportation to bridge this gap, there is also climate to consider.
You can walk x many miles in many of these states but you'd be a sweaty mess by the time you arrived at your destination, which makes it generally impractical.
Not to engage in stereotypes myself, but regional or traditional foods do not help in many instances. - Enigmocracy, on 07/04/2008, -2/+10It's true; Mississippi has the lowest average IQ of every state, with an average of 94.2
- kineticworm, on 07/04/2008, -2/+10I honestly thought Texas would be on that list.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7rice and beans, etc. feed a lot of the world - they are just not making good choices, unfortunately.
- ohnoerino, on 07/03/2008, -0/+6Me too...I've visited there quite a bit. The Wisconsin definition of a salad bar (ten kinds of cheese, six kinds of meat, 10 mayo based dressings, and some iceberg lettuce) seriously cracks me up.
- ImAChubbyBunny, on 07/04/2008, -2/+8In other news, America did win the Hot Dog eating contest today...
- ansjc09, on 07/03/2008, -7/+13woot PA isn't in the top 10!
- cryptomystic, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5Uneducated = poor = eat crappy food and get fat = votes for morons like Bush.
This is why we need to secede from the south. - CrushThemTorg, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5Hey, remember the same article yesterday when it wasn't blogspam?
- RedViper1999, on 07/04/2008, -5/+10Are the more Republican states the fattest? I don't know the demographics but it looks that way. Except for states like Montana and Colorado.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5Well if your fat people are at the gym, that says something.
Also "fat" is relative. My friend who lives in CA now, came back to visit (live in the top ten) and said he couldn't believe how many fat people were here... I saw one or two, but didn't understand why it was note-worthy.
Part of it is perception. CA "fat" is different from top ten "fat". - drmangrum, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5You obviously don't meet many Mexicans. Tortillas are not your friend. When I lived in San Antonio, it was almost an epidemic. The food there is good for a reason; you cram enough fat and carbs in, it can't help but taste good..
- dougs55, on 07/04/2008, -4/+8Damn I can't believe California is #41. Even when I go to the gym I'm surrounded by fat people. Maybe it's the immigration that keeps the number so low.
- DeFex, on 07/04/2008, -8/+12can we compare this with the IQ?
church attendance? - metapop, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5nail on the head, wish i could digg you twice
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5Stupid can lead to obesity and other bad decisions, assuming you're not, what's the excuse for your bigotry?
- RedStateRetard, on 07/04/2008, -2/+6One State, two states
Fat State = Red State
with apologies to Dr.Seuss - cvindustries, on 07/04/2008, -1/+5Poverty.
- jkr0z, on 07/04/2008, -0/+4It is interesting how there is a correlation between the mean wealth and fatness of a state. The top 10 are all poor states while wealthier states like Connecticut and California are listed among the skinniest.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+4I live in the 3rd leanest State in the nation. There really isn't be much of a difference between 30% obese (highest) and 20% (lowest).
As for the fatties at the gym. Are they regulars and losing weight? Lots of fat people join gyms around here and go pretty frequently for like a month, then start going more sporadically until they stop going altogether. I only count the regulars when I think of who goes to my gym, and there's only a couple of obese people who go regularly. - MillionsLivio, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3Lay off the Waffle House..
- philadelphia, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3That cat picture is the best part of the story.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3ditto
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -4/+7so rednecks are fat?
- dcstriker, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3All the deep fryer states!!!
- headzoo, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4These states screw the curve for the rest of us. They're the reason most people think Americans are fat. When added to nation wide stats, they bring the whole country down.
It's the same when it comes to gun violence. There really are just a handful of places where guns are out of control, but when lumped in with nation wide statistics, it makes the whole country look violent. - reiner15, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3too busy running from the police
/rimshot - kroni, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round
nothing like a cute well fed american girl
http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/dimtext/kjn/peop ...
:P - inactive, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4Hey genius, care to explain why Washington DC is so low on the list?
- gak001, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4Hmm... we clearly have a correlation but do we have a causal relationship? I'd venture to guess yes.
- ReDoEr, on 07/04/2008, -4/+7don't worry, this is Digg. Slamming religion is the only way people impress all the other 14-year-olds.
- RiMac, on 07/04/2008, -1/+4I thought Texas was gonna be in it, too. I really wouldn't have been surprised, considering how awesome our food is.
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