More than one-third of adults in 23 states, including Georgia, are obese according to the latest data from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Projections suggest that these numbers may worsen over the next decade. The CDC’s 2023 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps, based on telephone interview survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, was released last week and shows that 34. 7% of adults in the South are obese, with Georgia slightly above this average at 35%. This is a significant increase compared to before 2013 when no state had such high obesity prevalence. The numbers show that the obesity rate in Chattooga County is at 37.6% – even higher than the state average.  The CDC stated that many adults with obesity also have serious chronic diseases such as high blood pressure (58%) and diabetes (23%). Obesity is associated with 40 diseases including stroke and cancer, leading to at least 2. 8 million deaths yearly globally.