by Osman Parvez

Last week we had family visiting. I admit, it was an all out recruiting trip to convince my soon-to-be Physician brother and his wife to consider Colorado their future home. In theory, an easy task given they’ve already served 3 years of a 4 year mandatory sentence in Buffalo, New York. Unfortunately, the jury is still out as to where they’ll settle and his next rotation is scheduled for Worcester, MA. Something about being closer to family (what am I, chopped liver?).

One of the things my brother noticed was how thin most people seem in Boulder. I guess when I first moved here that struck me too, but after awhile one stops noticing these things. Still, the observation drove me to dig a little deeper.

In a 2001 study, the nation as a whole had a 20.9% Obesity rate. The heaviest state was Mississippi with 25.9% incidence of Obesity.

And Colorado?

Turns out we’ve got the lowest Obesity rate in the country (see chart below). Back in 1991, only 8.4% of Coloradans surveyed were Obese. Ten years later that number had expanded to 14.4%. We’re not as slim as we used to be but we’re still the state with the lowest incidence.

Pass the jelly doughnuts, no wonder I feel chubby.

The same survey, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also tracked the incidence of Diabetes. Here Colorado ranked #5 with 5.6% of the population reporting the disease in 2001. Meanwhile, the nation as a whole has a 7.9% incidence rate and Alabama took the cake (so to speak) with 10.5%.

Make that a sugar free doughnut, please.

On second thought, forget it. I’m off to the gym.

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