Ala. Ranks 4th Nationally For Obesity

A new study says Alabama is the nation's fourth-fattest state. The report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 32 percent of Alabama's adults are obese. That's slightly better than the obesity rates in Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia. The state obesity rate for 2011 is a little less than the number from 2010, but the CDC says the two numbers can't be compared because it changed statistical methods. So it's hard to gauge whether there's been any real improvement in fighting obesity. Alabama health officials are trying to get people to slim down. The annual Scale Back Alabama weight-reduction program drew almost 30,000 participants this year who lost a combined 148,963 pounds. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.