Colorado has long held a place in the top ranks for fittest state. The American Fitness Index released it's rankings today, with Denver in the number four spot for fittest cities. With our active, outdoor lifestyle, and so many beautiful and exciting places to explore, it has always made sense that most of us are in shape to hike, bike and ski. It's among the reasons that the popular ABC TV show, Extreme Weight Loss moved it's home base to Colorado for it's current season. They made use of hiking trails, the stairs at Red Rocks, and the state's gorgeous scenery to film the program's workouts. In the process, the show's trainer,Chris Powell, uncovers an ugly secret. While Colorado adults are the fittest in the nation, our state ranks 29th in childhood obesity rates. And to be perfectly frank, despite the ranking as one of the leanest states, more than half of Colorado adults are overweight or obese. A figure that has more than doubled in just 15 years.

Extreme Weight Loss partnered with the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center to guide the show's participants through their weight loss and health transformations while based in Colorado. One of the programs features a father-daughter duo, Jeff and Julianna Macht,to highlight the dichotomy of our "fittest state" status.

"It's interesting to see the polar opposites in Colorado. The adults are healthy, but the kids are not. We talk about that on the show, with Juliana, and I'm hoping that it will make the final cut. The more statistics we can get out there, that's what drives change." ~ Chris Powell

LiveWell Colorado reports that Colorado's child obesity rate is rising at the second-fastest rate in the nation. And between 2003 and 2007 Colorado's children went from the 3rd leanest to the 23rd leanest in the country. This is a rapid decline, indicating a need for answers and intervention.