Colorado is the leanest state once again, while Mississippi has the highest rates of obesity. How does geography play a role?



In Mississippi, the state government added healthy foods to vending machines in state office buildings. Some cities open school gyms to community members on weekends and afternoons, providing safe places to exercise.



Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on obesity issued this week shows that the state is the nation's fattest for the sixth consecutive year -- and its neighboring Southern states round out the bottom of the list: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia all have obesity rates of over 30 percent.