Author(s):
Sunita George* - Alabama State University
Raymond R Greene - Western Illinois University
Abstract:
According to a recent survey estimating obesity in the U.S., six of the ten most obese states are in the southern region of the country. Alabama has ranked among the five most obese states in the U.S. during the last couple of years. The Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS ) data for 2003 show that the counties in Alabama with highest estimated proportion of obese adults were in the lower third of the state, an area roughly coincident with the so-called "Black Belt". This is a region with a high concentration of African Americans. This paper examines obesity and its correlates in the Black Belt counties of Alabama, and compares them with the other counties in the state. The capital, Montgomery, is also examined with a view to discerning whether food deserts exist and what role they play in determining obesity rates.
