While Mississippi,  Alabama and Tennessee lead the nation when it comes to obesity, Michigan is high up on the list in a tie for 13th place. The 2007 numbers, reported by the Associated Press, say more than 30 percent of adults in the top three states tipped the scales enough to ensure that the South remains the nation’s most obese region. But Michigan’s number was close behind at 28.2 percent.

Continued – Colorado was the least obese state, with about 19 percent fitting that category in a random telephone survey last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why is the South so heavy? The traditional southern diet — which is high in fat food and fried food — may be part of the answer, said Dr.William Dietz, who heads the CDC’s nutrition, physical activity and obesity division.

Colorado, meanwhile, is a state with a reputation for exercise. It has plentiful biking and hiking trails, and an elevation that causes the body to labor a bit more, Dietz said.

And what about Michigan’s extra pounds?  Experts have often said Michigan’s winters, an overall lack of physical exercise, and  poor eating habits that include fast foods all combine to keep the pounds on in the Great Lakes State.