The healthiest — and least healthy — US statesBut upon closer inspection, Colorado weighs in as two states: one dangerously heavy and one fit and trim.There are the mostly well-educated, affluent whites, many of whom were drawn to Colorado by high-paying tech jobs and myriad outdoor opportunities.By contrast, the adult obesity rates among minorities are much higher — 29.9% for blacks and 27.7% for Latinos, far worse than the 21.6% rate for non-Hispanic whites. While those figures beat the nation’s overall obesity rate of 39.8%, a large portion of state residents still struggle to eat healthily and live active lifestyles.“People see and hear, ‘Oh, Colorado, healthiest state in the nation,’” said Wendy Peters Moschetti, director of food systems for LiveWell Colorado, a statewide nonprofit promoting healthy eating. “But when you dig deeper, there’s the Colorado paradox. Colorado is importing health.”
