Obesity has become a serious problem in many parts of the United States, including Houston, Texas. Men’s Fitness Magazine rated it as the fattest city in America and they were right. Since then, the number of people that are overweight and obese has only increased.
Houston did not make it in the top 25 most overweight/obese list; it is no longer “America’s Fattest City!” [2020]
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 66% of adults in the Houston area are either obese or overweight. Considering that the number grew by 5% since the study was last done in 2002, the current numbers can be expected to be even higher.
Six metro areas in Texas ranked in the top 100 fattest cities in the U.S., (source)
| Overall Rank | Metro Area | Obesity & Overweight Rank |
| 1 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 84.21 |
| 21 | San Antonio-New Braunfels | 77.36 |
| 27 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 76.29 |
| 28 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 76.23 |
| 31 | El Paso | 74.87 |
| 57 | Austin-Round Rock | 69.2 |
Obesity numbers for youth are even more disturbing. In the Youth Behavior Surveillance System, it was reported that in 2007, 34.4% of 9th-grade children were overweight or obese; in 1999 that number was only 29.4% to give a comparison. When you compare this to the overall United States population, which is 28.8% of people being overweight or obese, this is even more disturbing.
Some of the factors that come into play where obesity rates are highest include living in low-income areas and having access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating and healthy lifestyles play a major factor in obesity rates and when an area does not have access to these things, those rates only increase.
Higher rates of obesity come with all sorts of health problems that are an issue for both the individuals and the health care programs that need more funding to take care of these problems. People who are overweight or obese have an increased chance of diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, heart disease, and other medical problems. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent and it is a major concern for the health care community.
Weight Loss Surgery
Those who are obese may consider weight loss surgery at some point. It does become an option for people when they are severely obese when it seriously affects their health and at least one major health problem is believed to be the result of obesity, and when the individual has tried to lose weight before and not been successful.
But will weight loss affect their health problems? Can weight loss surgery help people lose weight and can it decrease medical issues? According to DiabetesJournals.org, it can. Individuals who have diabetes can experience a major decrease in the progress of the disease or they may even have complete remission from it. In some situations, 80% or more of people who had diabetes and were taking medications or insulin shots were able to at least decrease medications after weight-loss surgeries.
DiabetesForecast.org reports that this report sounds miraculous and that some patients are able to toss out their type 2 diabetes medications, sometimes just days after their procedure. Bariatric surgery to them seems like a possible “cure” for the disease.
Obesity and diabetes are definitely connected and the combination of the two is affecting peoples’ lives in Houston, Texas. Adults that have both diabetes and are obese have options. If an adult with both of these conditions has been trying to lose weight and has had a hard time finding success, it may be worth it to talk to a professional in the weight loss surgery field to weigh out their options. Weight loss surgery is not for everyone and it does come with risks but it can get results in both decreasing weight and decreasing the effects of diabetes. It is a permanent life change though, and people should understand that it does mean changing old habits and adopting new lifestyles.