

U.S. Obesity Trends (Maps/Infographics) - cwan
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

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matrix
An unintentionally good example of why choosing colors for choropleth maps can
be tricky in terms of making sure the data you are conveying matches visual
perception. UT, for example stands out (in later years), even though it has
less obesity than states around it. In this case, a single hue changing from
light to dark would be more effective.

Choropleth maps are an interesting problem because they can be unintentionally
quite misleading. In particular, the modifiable areal unit problem is a
frequent issue with US maps of population-related data. This is due to the use
county boundaries and since counties vary drastically by both size and
population, values averaged over a county are sometimes almost meaningless
(the classic example is San Bernadino County in CA).

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thwarted
You mean Colorado, not Utah, right? Colorado appears to stand along in the
west side of the country starting in 2005. In 2004 and 2005, Utah and Colorado
are both the dark blue indicating 15%-19%. In general, Colorado seems to lag
behind the indicated measurements of the states around it.

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msluyter
I'd like to see this displayed alongside a map showing the consumption levels
of high fructose corn syrup.

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TobiasCassell
Amen to that! And add some data regarding the dates of regulatory policy
changes involving the High Fructose Corn Syrup.

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yummyfajitas
A question that these statistics raise: both obesity and the number of
hispanics have been increasing. Hispanics are more obese than average.

Is it possible that the increase in obesity is partially/completely explained
by demographics?

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tremendo
I guess it's easy to assume that. To my Hispanic eyes it's different though.
Somewhat recently I read that Mexico was now No.2 in obesity. Behind the US
(No.1). But this is a recent development, even newer that the US's obesity I
believe, and it came about starting in the 90's, when Mexico opened up with
the North American Free Trade Agreement and finally (I still consider it a
good thing, for Mexico at least) allowed freer importing, and exporting of
among other things, fast-food american chains. We gave up the torta for the
burger.

But another interesting observation is that here in the US, the trend not only
coincides with the "Low-fat" assault (see Taubes' GCBC), it also does with the
embargo imposed on Mexican cane sugar in the late 70's, and the subsequent
adoption of High-fructose corn syrup as the sweetener of choice for Americans.
And then you see some longing for "mexican coca-cola".

In short, I believe that Hispanic obesity has been growing alongside everyone
else's here, not causing it. Back in the day there were only the "fat
gringos".

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yummyfajitas
I am not assuming, I am asking.

The right way to answer the question, I think, would be to look at obesity
rates restricted to whites/Hispanics, or alternatively to calculate obesity
rates pretending Hispanics exist in the us at their 1960 proportions.

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RK
You can pretty much pick out where the reservations are in the western US on
the county map of combined obesity and diabetes. The big one in NM/AZ is the
main Navajo reservation.

Native American tend to have some of the worst health stats in the US
(although better in some categories).

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marknutter
So the stereotype of the granola-eating outdoorsy Coloradian must be true...

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crux_
_hangs head_ ... check, check, and check.

Although I prefer gorp (good old raisins and peanuts). ;)

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cjoh
Begs for ClearMaps [http://www.sunlightlabs.com/blog/2010/clearmaps-mapping-
fram...](http://www.sunlightlabs.com/blog/2010/clearmaps-mapping-framework/)

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willwagner
Interesting data and depressing when you think of the health care costs we'll
be seeing as a nation as our population ages.

I have one quibble with the presentation; white is represented as "no data",
but perception wise, it makes it look like those states had 0 percent obesity
rates.

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yef
The county level maps look suspect, as if some normalization or bias at the
state level were happening. Do people really get more obese when you cross the
state line from Illinois to Missouri?

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erlanger
Illinois and Missouri border states other than each other. And the population
is not concentrated on the borders, let alone a single one.

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samd
This why we need a tax on unhealthy, processed foods and drinks and subsidies
on healthy foods. The Dollar Menu should be the Five Dollar Menu and Subway
should have the Two Dollar Footlong.

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barnaby
Wow, that's scary. The epidemic just exploded within our lifetimes, and it
started with the poor in states like Mississippi and Alabama and spread
outward to middle-class America.

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razzmataz
It would be nice if links to the data used for the visualizations was
available. It would be interesting to play with.

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steveplace
Shazam: <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html>

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razzmataz
That's still not the raw data. I'd probably have to pick thru the papers and
such before I'd have the full dataset.

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rmobin
read Good Calories, Bad Calories for a well researched book on why this is
([http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-
Scienc...](http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-
Science/dp/1400033462))

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Groxx
From the Amazon page's editorial reviews, by Publishers Weekly:

 _Taubes says that the current U.S. obesity epidemic actually consists of a
very small increase in the average body mass index._

Interesting, considering the data in the top link implies otherwise. (I
haven't read the book, can't comment on the editorial review's statement's
accuracy)

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sliverstorm
It's interesting to see the seemingly strong correlation between the highest
obesity rates and the highest diabetes rates. I would have guessed, sure, but
this looks like fairly strong evidence there's a correlation

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etal
When I moved to Georgia, I was surprised by how many dialysis clinics there
are. Like, half the strip malls in my current town have one.

Obesity is the main risk factor for adult-onset diabetes; diabetes and high
blood pressure are the main risk factors for chronic kidney disease, and when
your kidneys finally fail (whether it's under the strain of sweet tea and
biscuits & gravy, or Pepsi and Big Macs), you need dialysis.

It's getting so bad now that we're seeing adult-onset diabetes, the diet-
inflicted kind, appearing in kids -- not to be confused with juvenile-onset
diabetes, the kind that's normally genetic.

