Massachusetts has the third lowest rate of adult obesity in the nation, according to a study published Thursday.
Only Colorado and the District of Columbia have lower rates of adult obesity, according to the report, which was done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. About 23.6 percent of Massachusetts' adult population was overweight or obese in 2016.
Victoria Brown of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said requiring physical education and serving healthy food in schools are among the things that make a difference here. “We know that overweight children become overweight adults, so these types of policies ensure that your future generations grow up to be healthy and productive adults,” she said.
The rate has actually jumped from 15 percent in 2000 to nearly a quarter of Massachusetts residents last year.
The report does show a racial disparity in obesity rates, with nearly 37 percent of black adults and 31 percent of Latinos considered obese, compared to about 23 percent of white adults.
Nearly 11 percent of high school students in Massachusetts were obese last year, according the report. In that category, the state ranks 34th the country.
You can read more about how Massachusetts fared in the report here.
To see how adult obesity rates have changed for each state from 1990-2016, use the interactive map to hover over each state and move the bottom scroll bar to the right to see the data.
