When it comes to weight, bigger definitely doesn’t mean better. More Americans than ever are obese, according to recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported on by Reuters.

CDC researchers analyzed data from the center’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a telephone survey of 400,000 adults. Findings showed that at least 30 percent of adults in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are obese. In addition, only Colorado had an obesity rate of less than 20 percent.

The U.S. government reported that more than 26 percent of the population struggle with obesity. “The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007,” according to a CDC statement. “If this trend continues we will likely see increases in health care costs for obesity-related diseases.”

Learn how obesity affects the black community here.