Obesity Hits Rural Areas Harder Than Cities FRIDAY, Sept. 14
(HealthDay News) -- Rural areas of the United States are
affected by the obesity epidemic even more than urban centers, a
new study finds. Researchers at the University of Florida said
that nearly 40 percent of rural adults were obese (having a body
mass index of 30 or higher) compared to 33 percent of people
living in urban areas. Living in the country did not mean people
got more exercise, the study found. Instead, people living in
cities and those living in rural areas got about same amount of
physical activity. The researchers noted however, that rural
residents consumed a much higher percentage of their daily
calories from fat. The findings add to those from prior studies
that have shown that heavy meals and limited access to healthy
foods are common in rural areas, the researchers said. Still, "I
was surprised by the magnitude of the rural-urban difference --
it was larger than expected and much larger than previously
estimated," study senior