Shreveport’s Weight Battle: New Data Reveals Louisiana’s Obesity Crisis Deepens

Bad news for Louisiana today. Residents are getting fatter and very few communities are showing improvement. In fact, most cities across the state show an increase in the numbers of obese residents over the past two years. Shreveport and Bossier City are not the fattest cities in the state, but we are not making any progress on slimming down.

How Fat Are Louisiana Residents?

In Louisiana, 40% of adults are now considered obese. That’s a huge number. 4 out of 10 residents have a BMI of 30 or greater. This number is up from 36% in 2022. And in 2012, 33% of Louisiana residents were considered obese. We are going the wrong way and fast. This can only lead to more problems in the long run with health issues that obesity causes.

County Health Rankings tracks this data and finds very little improvement in the state of Louisiana over the past 3 years. Perhaps that is why so many state lawmakers have been pushing bills to make our school lunches healthier. They are also working on measures to limit what folks can buy with SNAP benefits. The long-term goal is to encourage people to eat healthier.

Only a dozen parishes have obesity rates under 40%:

Lafayette 35%
St. Tammany 35%
Acadia 37%
Ascension 37%
Beauregard 37%
Livingston 37%
St. Charles 37%
East Baton Rouge 38%
Orleans 38%
Caldwell 39%
Grant 39%
Vermilion 39%

What Are Some Other Problems That Contribute to Obesity in Louisiana?

This data also shows that 41% of residents say they don’t get enough sleep at night. And the data shows 28% of Louisiana residents are physically inactive, meaning they get no exercise at all. The report also points out that 11% of residents in the Bayou State have limited access to healthy foods.

As you look at the rankings below, you will find almost half of all Caddo and Bossier residents are considered obese.