Obese Minnesotans are at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and other serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Obesity is also associated with poor physical and mental well-being, which now makes it an important time for Minnesotans to focus on their well-being, be active and eat healthy.

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder than ever for Minnesotans and medical professionals to deal with chronic health conditions such as obesity.

For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic has created high levels of anxiety, stress, and feelings of social isolation, which has an impact on their weight, mental well-being and physical health. one person. The pandemic has also hampered the Minnesotans’ ability to connect with their health care providers to resolve other health issues.

Poor physical or mental health prevented 41.8% of obese Minnesotans from engaging in their usual activities, according to self-reports and analysis of 2020 Minnesota data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This means that Minnesotans who say they are obese were 1.4 times more likely than other Minnesotans to report that poor physical or mental health prevented usual activities for 14 days or more in the past month, according to the analysis. and the BRFSS survey.

Minnesota’s efforts, such as the Statewide Health Improvement Initiative (SHIP), #StayConnectedMN, as well as the MDH programs focused on mental wellness, resilience learning, and suicide prevention aim to support well-being positive in school, in the workplace, in religious communities and in health care. and community organizations to facilitate communication around mental well-being, build coping skills and encourage reach in those around us.

The CDC released state and territory specific data on the prevalence of obesity in adults based on responses to a telephone health survey via BRFSS. MDH uses this data to inform the public about obesity rates in the state, track changes over time, and support the planning of public health interventions to reduce obesity.

The national adult obesity rate rose to 31.9%, from 31.4% in 2019. The number of states in which at least 35% of residents are obese has nearly doubled since 2018 – and disparities persist – according to the CDC. Minnesota is not included in this group of states because its obesity prevalence is less than 35%.