Human Capacity: Health
Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys individuals across the country, asking them to report their height and weight, from which Body Mass Index (BMI) can be calculated.
Percent of Adult Population
Indicating They Are Obese by Metro, 2004
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Based on these calculations, about 23 percent of the region's adults are obese, placing it in the heavier half of the peer metropolitan areas, though still near the middle overall.
Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled Per Capita, 1982-2003
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Some relationship between obesity and automobile-dependency appears to exist. All of the metros that report lower obesity rates than Kansas City also travel less by car, as measured by vehicle miles traveled per person.
One apparent exception is Omaha where residents are heavier than Kansas City's, but less auto-dependent.
Crude Death Rate from Cardiovascular Causes, 1999-2002
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Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Crude death rate from cardiovascular disease (total metropolitan deaths due to cardiovascular causes divided by total metropolitan population) is second highest in the Kansas City region.
Black/White Ratio of Age-Adjusted Death Rates
From Cardiovascular Disease, 1999-2002
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Standard Population Year 2000
Using the age-adjusted death rates available by state, blacks are 29 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than whites in Kansas and Missouri. This places Kansas and Missouri in the middle of the states that contain the Kansas City area's peer metros.
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