Question: Does this state make me look fat?

Answer: Not if you live in Mississippi.

According to the latest data on obesity, Mississippi is the fattest state in the nation, based on data released by the online health advocacy group NiceRx. The state’s 39.7 percent obesity rate means four-in-10 Mississippians are obese.

Among health professionals, obesity is defined as a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may have a negative effect on health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index  (BMI) reaches 30 based on a calculation comparing height to weight. For a 5-foot-10 male, a 30 BMI is a weight range of 209 to 271 pounds. A 5-foot-4 female has a 30 BMI between the weights of 174 and 203 pounds.

Obesity goes far beyond appearance, though.

Our obesity ranking correlates with other health rankings, among them, first in heart disease deaths and the third highest rate of diabetes.

There is another you may not immediately think of: Mississippi is No. 1 in poverty rate.

In other words, the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese, which might seem counter-intuitive until you consider the old truism: You get what you pay for.

The cheapest foods are almost always the least healthy. It’s a matter of choosing food loaded with empty carbs in volume vs. nutritious foods that cost more.

For the poor, in many cases the difficulty in maintaining healthy diets is enhanced because of limited access to nutritious food. These food deserts are not limited to rural places such as the Delta. Without access to transportation, even cities can be food deserts. Without transportation, living a mile away from a grocery store may mean living in a food desert.

Not every obese person is poor, of course. Far from it. For those who have more options, obesity is likely a combination of poor diets/exercise and tradition, factors that know no socio-economic boundaries.

Traditionally, our diets have been high in calories, fat and sodium. If there is anything that isn’t fried in Mississippi, it’s not because it hasn’t been tried.

Exercise and better food choices are the obvious solutions for people with transportation and funds.

For the poor, there are some things that can be done — and are being done — that can help address this serious concern.

For example, our farmers’ markets are now equipped to take EBT cards, giving those in the SNAP program more access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Food kitchens are more aware of nutritional content they provide as well. Community garden efforts have been tried at times.

But more can be done. For example, food pantries solicit nonperishable foods, mostly processed canned or boxed items that have a prolonged shelf life. But these items don’t have to be empty calories. Pantries can encourage donations of nutritious foods, and we as donors can keep that in mind when making donations. Choose beans instead of boxed macaroni and cheese, for example.

For home gardeners, we encourage donations of fruits and vegetables directly to those in your life who are in need.

Finally, we all need to promote nutrition through education: in our schools, churches, civic organizations. Many are already doing this, of course. If your group isn’t, join and support these efforts.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

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