LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV)-- Arkansas ranks number three among the most obese states in the country.
Dietitian David Rath is among the many people and businesses trying to change that.
“I see people every day in their 30s and 40s and they have conditions that you would only expect people in their 60s and 70s to have,” he said.
He feels educating Arkansans is key.
“It needs to start in the schools and we need to learn more about our bodies and how to treat our bodies well. We need to learn how to eat properly and how to be more physically active,” Rath said.
Rath said more options are becoming available every day and that’s helping put Arkansas on the right track.
“I think if you make an effort you can find things that you like that are healthy for you,” he said.
There are a lot of options in Little Rock popping up for being looking to lose some weight. Physical activity options can range from your typical gym, to Crossfit, Barre, and Orange Theory Fitness.
The nutrition shops are multiplying too. Little Rock has places like GNC, See More Results, and The Nutrition Spot.
One of the newest shops in town is 5 Star Nutrition and what sets this shop apart from then others is their InBody machine.
John Maler, district manager for Five Star Nutrition, said the InBody machine takes your weight and breaks it down into body fat percentage, muscle mass, and skeletal mass.
“It's going to give us a complete breakdown of people's body competition,” he said.
The machine helps create meal plans targeted to each customer and decide what supplements people need.
“We're doing all these things for free and by using these free tools, our customers are able to get a lot out of our services so that we can help them live healthier lives,” Maler said.
Rath also just came out with a book called “Diets Are Hard,” to help guide people through everyday nutrition, you can find it on Amazon.