Led by researchers at the University of Kansas, the study found that 39.6% of America's 70 million rural residents are obese, compared with 33.4% of urban residents. "Including overweight people as well, the comparative totals were 70.8% and 67.1%, the study said."
The study cites factors such as a "cultural diet" of "rich, homemade foods" and the increasing mechanization of farm work as possible contributing factors.
"Although some intervention research has begun to address obesity among rural adults and families, great attention needs to be focused on dissemination of effective programs to rural areas, which contain some of the largest medically underserved communities in the nation," the researchers said.
