We spoke to a paediatrician specialising in childhood obesity who treats primary school children with heart problems and diabetes.

BBC: Stephen Nolan presents new obesity documentary Dead Fat

No one has scientifically proven that high-fructose corn syrup--the cheap and supersweet concoction that has all but replaced sugar in most leading brands of soda and other foods--is the primary cause of the so-called obesity epidemic in the United States.

FORBES: Souring On Sweeteners

Britain's front-line obesity management could be done in primary care if adequate resources were provided, yet with a few exceptions health care professionals recognise they are not skilled in managing obesity.

BBC: GP practices 'need obesity specialists'

Meanwhile, Mississippi scored at or near the bottom on 11 of the 22 survey measures, showing a high prevalence of obesity, high rate of childhood poverty, low high school graduation rates, limited availability of primary care physicians and many preventable hospitalizations.

FORBES: America's Healthiest And Unhealthiest States