COLUMBUS, Ohio — Food is not the only thing contributing to over a third of Ohioans being obese.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio is 11th in the U.S. for adult obesity

  • Race, neighborhood, income and socioeconomic status are also contributors to obesity

  • Rural areas are more likely to have a higher density of obese people than metro areas

Approximately 36% of Ohio adults fit the obesity criteria according to a new report released by Trust for America's Health. Obesity is a chronic disease that occurs when a person has too much body fat. While food is one factor that can contribute to someone being obese, it’s not the only one. 

Race, income, neighborhood and socioeconomic status also have a large influence on whether a person is more or less likely to become obese. Those living in food deserts might have trouble accessing fresh produce and some neighborhoods don’t have bike lanes or sidewalks. 

According to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, adult obesity rates were 19% higher in rural regions than in metro areas. The U.S. Census Bureau said 65 of Ohio’s 88 counties have more than 90% of their land classified as rural. 

Obesity can lead to an array of other health issues, including diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. Madison West, with the Trust for America’s Health, said that the state’s access to physical activity is also cause for concern.

“It’s not just about going to the gym, it’s also about whether people are able to get safely to their everyday destination,” said West. “If we’re looking at a policy like Complete Streets, it helps make sure that pedestrians can safely walk or roll to their everyday destinations. Unfortunately, Ohio’s complete street score is currently zero out of 20.”

West said that in order to improve the score, cities and counties across Ohio need to work harder to implement bike routes and sidewalks.

Regarding food deserts, many city and health care officials are working together to implement things like farmers’ markets and mobile food markets. The Healthy Food for Ohio Program provides flexible financing to eligible rural and urban healthy food retail projects. The program has invested millions of dollars in healthy food projects across the state and provided fresh food access to over 70,000 Ohioans.