Adult obesity rates increased in 37 states in the past year, according to a recent report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2008" found rates rose for a second consecutive year in 24 states and

"Our analysis shows that we're not treating the obesity epidemic with the urgency it deserves," said APHA member Jeff Levi, PhD, executive director of Trust for America's Health. "For significant change to happen, combating obesity must become a national priority."

Rates of type 2 diabetes grew in 26 states last year, according to the report, which also found a link between poverty and obesity rates. Seven of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are also in the top 10 for highest poverty rates. The three states with the highest rates of obesity were Mississippi, West Virginia and Alabama, while the three with the lowest rates were Connecticut, Hawaii and Colorado.

The report also reviewed state and federal policies aimed at reducing or preventing obesity in children, concluding that many policies are missing critical components or require a more comprehensive approach to be effective.

The full report is available at www.healthyamericans.org.