Limited Access to Healthy Foods is the percentage of the population who are low income and do not live close to a grocery store. Living close to a grocery store is defined differently in rural and nonrural areas; in rural areas, it means living less than 10 miles from a grocery store; in nonrural areas, less than 1 mile. Low income is defined as having an annual family income of less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold for the family size.

Percentage of population with adequate access to locations for physical activity. Access to Exercise Opportunities measures the percentage of individuals in a county who live reasonably close to a location for physical activity. Locations for physical activity are defined as parks or recreational facilities. Parks include local, state, and national parks. Recreational facilities include businesses identified by the following Standard Industry Classification (SIC) codes and include a wide variety of facilities including gyms, community centers, YMCAs, dance studios and pools.

Adult Obesity is the percentage of the adult population (age 20 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2. Obesity is often the result of an overall energy imbalance due to poor diet and limited physical activity. Obesity increases the risk for health conditions such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and poor health status.

Physical Inactivity is the percentage of adults aged 20 and over reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Examples of physical activities provided include running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise.

Children Eligible for Free Lunch is the percentage of children enrolled in public schools eligible for free lunch. Eligibility for free lunch is a way of measuring the effect of poverty on children.