Were #1 !!!! (Madison, Lake: fit in, wedding, public school)

[brickpatio]

Statistically MS does apparently have the highest percentage of people overweight. But the differences aren't that high between states. Note this example below from the Kaiser Health facts website comparing Mississippi and Pennsylvania in 2009. States that are mostly urban and caucasian (e.g. Colorado, Massachusetts) fair the best. States that are more heavily rural and diverse tend to be a little heavier. But not really by that much...

Overweight and Obesity Rates for Adults MS
%PA
%White64.9%60.9%Black73.2%70.2%Hispanic70.1%67.1%A sian/Pacific IslanderNSDNSDAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeNSDNSDOther59.6%57.6%
(show/hide notes) Notes:
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data, 2009, unpublished data. Information about the BRFSS is available at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm.
Definitions:

[cwaggy]

Just wanting to have a reality based conversation about the CDC's 'fattest states' ranking is what these boards are all about. Hats off to the the powers that be. We could also have a conversations perhaps elsewhere about which states consume the most meth-amphetamine, pot or alcohol. Sorry some may find those issues offensive - if you do there are thousands of other threads in which you can participate which you find more appropriate. Some pretty thin skins in Miss too it seems.

I was in Jackson Miss two weeks ago and while stopped at a red light and observing people crossing the street, I certainly noticed the general 'shape' of the citizenry. Only days later the CDC report came out, sort of confirming my notion. My notion? "I've never seen so many people waddle across the street....I wonder why so many people here are so overweight?"

I still wonder.

[mccarley]

Originally Posted by cwaggy

Just wanting to have a reality based conversation about the CDC's 'fattest states' ranking is what these boards are all about. Hats off to the the powers that be. We could also have a conversations perhaps elsewhere about which states consume the most meth-amphetamine, pot or alcohol. Sorry some may find those issues offensive - if you do there are thousands of other threads in which you can participate which you find more appropriate. Some pretty thin skins in Miss too it seems.

I was in Jackson Miss two weeks ago and while stopped at a red light and observing people crossing the street, I certainly noticed the general 'shape' of the citizenry. Only days later the CDC report came out, sort of confirming my notion. My notion? "I've never seen so many people waddle across the street....I wonder why so many people here are so overweight?"

I still wonder.

I'm just thankful that obesity is confined to Mississippi and a few other Southern states. It would be awful if all of the US states were obese.

[Joe_Ryder]

Originally Posted by mccarley

I'm just thankful that obesity is confined to Mississippi and a few other Southern states. It would be awful if all of the US states were obese.

I know what you mean. According to what I've read, I live in one of the "fittest" parts of the US. I can only assume all those folks I see with expansive rears are visiting from elsewhere.

[jacksonian]

Does anyone else find it ironic that the thread is titled "We're #1!!!" - yet the OP is not from Mississippi?

[mccarley]

I thinks its called "Mississippi bashing". Its also done to the good folks from Alabama and to some extent to anything Southern. It must be great sport. I sometimes scan northern states threads and I never see bashing directed toward the northern states from the South. Mississippi seems to be the number one target

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by mccarley

I thinks its called "Mississippi bashing". Its also done to the good folks from Alabama and to some extent to anything Southern. It must be great sport. I sometimes scan northern states threads and I never see bashing directed toward the northern states from the South. Mississippi seems to be the number one target

So what is your point? Are you upset that MS is last in fitness (and education), or are you upset that other states point out that fact?

You don't want to be bashed by other states, then CHANGE THINGS! Try to put limits on the car culture and sprawl, work towards establishing a bike culture wherever possible. Don't abandon the public schools and leave them to only those who have no other options. If everyone in NE Jackson sent their kids to Casey, McCloud, etc instead of JA, then Casey/McCloud/etc would soon become great schools - instead these schools have been abandoned by those who have the means to go elsewhere.

If someone calls you fat and you don't like it, you can do one of two things. You can push for "fat acceptance" and try to stop people from making fun of you, or you can get thin.

The choice is yours...

[cwaggy]

I don't think my post was at all posted in a 'childish manner'. What would be childish perhaps would be if I said 'ha ha you blobs in redneckville Mississippi are just a bunch of fat slobovian goo balls' or 'you must be so thin skinned since all that epidermis is stretched out over your guts and butts that you can't stand anyone mentioning your waffle house physique' but I didn't.

Please, what was exactly so 'childish' about my original post? The truth hurts, go ahead I can take it.

GO AHEAD Make fun of MY state, where we have a black Governor, liberty and justice for all and people can smoke a doob without fear of being arrested or where you can buy beer at any local quick mart. AND we recycle our 'garbage' and y'all recycle your politicians, so there we are about equal.

[poptones]

Hey it would be great to change things. SO when you gonna send a buncha that yankee money down here?

It's ironic southerners have some sort of reputation for being ignorant, and here we have lots of yankees showing us exactly what ignorance looks like.

Poverty and obesity in america go hand in hand. Do the research.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by poptones

Hey it would be great to change things. SO when you gonna send a buncha that yankee money down here?

No ones going to SEND us anything - if we want more money, we need to make it attractive for businesses to consider being here. That includes company headquarters, not just factories looking for cheap labor.

Originally Posted by poptones

Poverty and obesity in america go hand in hand. Do the research.

No need to research - you are correct.

You want to change things, which means attacking the poverty? You need politicians and business people with VISION. Nice things require money, which means we need people that are able to talk to those with money and convince them to see our state as a viable destination for their investments. Not just Madison, not just Jackson, but the entire STATE.

Businesses won't consider moving their knowledge centers to this state, because they are afraid of not being able to find workers, and those workers want to know where their kids will go to school, and everyone wants a variety of recreational activities. Our universities need to be better, our schools need to be better, and we need an improvement in our general lifestyle (riverwalks, lakefront developments, outdoor concert halls, the Jackson "Pops", etc).