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Tennessee ranks fourth when it comes to adult obesity. Although the percentage of obese people increased slightly since last year's rankings, we did drop a spot from number three. The larger than life truth remains: 30.2% of all Tennesseeans are obese. John Bilderback is the Program Manager for Step ONE. He explains: "Our total sugar intake, out total fat intake, we exceed above and beyond what we should be taking in. And that goes back to people paying attention to the food they're eating." Step ONE is pushing for better food labeling in restaurants and better education to the public about what is healthier food. But inactivity is another key component to the obesity epidemic. Philip Pugilese, Chattanooga's Bicycle Coordinator, said Wednesday, "Unfortunately activity has been engineered out of our lifestyles. We're encouraged to get in our cars right when we walk out of our house." Outdoor Chattanooga is aiming to change that through programs like Bike to Work and their Mobile Bicycle Fleet. "Just re-engaging people with the outdoors and ways to really be more active, whether it's going to work, school or play," adds Pugliese. Getting kids active early on will help them reach their fitness goals as adults. Carry Smith is the Community Organizer for Safe Routes to School. "Chattanooga is really charged and geared towards biking and walking," she said Wednesday. "We just have to get the students to start doing that." Overweight children often lead to obese adults. "If you're overweight now that may not that may not mean much. You may feel fine. But there's going to come a day when the whole house of cards is going to come down," said Bilderback. Bilderback says it's going to take years, possibly decades before what we're doing now translates to lower obesity rates, but with exercise and healthy food choices we can drop further on the list.
Mississippi claimed the first spot on the list, with Alabama and West Virginia rounding out the top three.
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