At the end of NBC’s first ‘The Biggest Loser’ season, the winning contestant had lost 122 pound (37% of his body weight). A study of contestants’ weight loss over a 6-year period after the show found that they had kept off 30% of their original body weight.
Unfortunately, when it comes to America’s obesity crisis, life does not imitate reality TV. Warnings about America’s obesity epidemic are nothing new.
Statistics show that a sharp increase in obesity rates began in the 1980s, yet public health campaigns since have, it seems, not resulted in reductions in people’s waistlines. That is, according to a comprehensive study by BarBend.com, the world’s leading strength training resource and news outlet, who identified obesity levels over the past 10 years in counties across Virginia
The analysis of data available by County Health Rankings compared each county’s rate of obesity in 2012 to newly released figures in 2022. The study found that of Virginia’s 133 counties, just two have trended towards decreased levels of obesity (and four have remained the same). The other 127 counties have in fact, got fatter. This includes Christiansburg (in Montgomery County), whose citizens have become 3% more obese over the past 10 years.
The top five Virginia counties that have fared best over the past 10 years are 1) Portsmouth City: 2% less obese. 2) Fairfax City: 1% less obese. 3) Culpeper: flat. 4) Fairfax: flat. And 5) Gloucester: flat.
The bottom five Virginia counties that have fared worst over the past 10 years are 129) Franklin City: 10% more obese. 130) Mecklenburg: 11% more obese. 131) Southampton: 11% more obese. 132) Danville City: 13% more obese. 133) Emporia City: 13% more obese.
