MLIVE/WITH POLL: Michigan among top five fattest states in the country

The analysis by the Trust for American Health of 2011 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that 12 states have adult obesity rates higher than 30 percent, according to a report by MLive.com.

At the top of the list is Mississippi, with a rate of 34.9 percent, followed by Louisiana, West Virginia and Alabama.

The state with the least obese adults is Colorado, with a rate of 20.7 percent.

The same group released a similar adult obesity ranking last summer, when Michigan was 10th in the nation with a rate of 30.5 percent. Changing CDC methodology makes it difficult to compare one year's ranking to another, according to the report.

A person is considered to be obese by doctors when their body mass index is greater than 30.

Michigan officials have taken notice. Gov. Rick Snyder outlined a number of new health initiatives in the past year, including a sign program at grocery stores to encourage people to make healthier choices.