A new report shows that Indiana’s obesity rate is continuing to climb along with Hoosiers’ expanding waistlines.
The report by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation shows that one in three Indiana residents are now obese, and that Indiana’s obesity rate has risen from 20 percent in 1995 to 34 percent in 2017.
The report says Indiana’s obesity epidemic costs the state $8.5 billion annually in lost productivity and economic output and added health care costs.
Claire Fiddian-Green is the president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. She tells WFYI-TV research shows obesity is driven by more than just genetics and behavior, and that “where we live, work and play” helps drive obesity.
Fiddian-Green says the data highlights how healthy food access and other factors can influence healthy weight.
