/ Modified sep 6, 2016 5:34 a.m.

Arizona Adult Obesity Rate Falls for First Time Since 2011

28.4% of state's adults are overweight, study finds, risking diabetes, other problems.

Weight scale spotlight

Arizona's adult obesity rate fell slightly in 2015, the first decline in five years, a health foundation report said.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in its annual State of Obesity report, said 28.4 percent of Arizona adults were found to be obese in 2015, down from 28.9 percent the year before. The state in 2015 ranked 34th in the country, with Louisiana the worst and Colorado the best, the report said.

Obesity can contribute to a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and others, the report said.

Despite its improvement over the last two years, the report pointed out that Arizona's obesity rate was up from 13.0 percent 20 years ago.

It said Latinos had the worst obesity rate in the state among ethnic and racial groups, at 35.5 percent. Blacks were at 34.2 percent and non-Latino whites at 24.4 percent.

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