A new report says South Carolina is the eighth fattest state in the country with nearly 31 percent of South Carolinians obese.
The report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows seven out of the ten fattest states are in the South.
Southern cooking traditions have a lot to do with that, said Barbara Cietek of Carolina Forest.
"I'm not Southern, but I do think it does. I think the fried foods, the fattier foods, Paula Deen and her pound of butter in everything."
Chief dietician Kelly Snow at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center says Southern tradition seems to revolve around fried foods and fatty meats added to vegetables that might otherwise be healthy without the additives.
Snow said salt is a problem, too.
"A lot of sodium is added to foods. Without even tasting the food, people will automatically add salt to it, for taste," Snow said.
Snow said portion sizes at restaurants are also getting bigger, so one tip to avoid eating too much when you're at a restaurant is to ask for your to-go box before you start eating.
"That way when it comes, go ahead and split it in half or take some of it and put it out of sight. That way you're not sitting there, conversing and eating the whole thing before you know it."
The "all you can eat" lines are a problem, too.
"So one tip would be to avoid buffets, cause there really is no cutoff when you're eating a buffet," Snow said. "And most people try to get as much as they can for their money, so you want go ahead and order plate portions or a la carte."
When you're eating at home, Snow suggests using corn flake recipes to make crispy chicken instead of frying, or doing more stove top cooking with olive or canola oil.
Snow said using the American Heart Association has some good ideas for healthier substitutions in recipes.
For example, she said you can use skim milk instead of whole milk, or sugar substitutes in place of sugar.
Click here for more health eating ideas from the Heart Association.
