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A new report shows nearly one-third of Missouri residents are obese, making the state the 11th most obese state in the nation.

KRCG’s Facebook Crew spoke with nutrition experts Friday to find out how you can avoid being obese.

Fast foods and snacks are making many Missourians obese.

So what can people do to avoid that problem?

"An easy thing you could do is to take all the snack and junk food out of your house, and put vegetables in there; and don't even have an option you can go to,” Capital Region Dietitian Sarah Burbee said.

Burbee said the best way to be healthy is to eat what you need, not what you want.

"The reality is that your body needs fruits, vegetables, and some source of proteins whether it's nuts, beans, or lean meats. It really doesn't matter, any of those are fine in order to maintain your body,” Burbee said. "That should be your first focus when you’re choosing your food. Secondary to that should be what you want."

Eating healthy is one way to avoid obesity, but another way is to exercise regularly.

Experts told me its always important to be active at least 30 minutes a day to stay healthy.

They recommend that you do something physical to get your heart rate up, like walking or jogging.

"If you're maintaining weight loss, you want to exercise at least 30 minutes, five to six days a week. If you're trying to lose weight, you want to increase that to more like 45 to 60 minutes five to six days a week,” YMCA Fitness Assistant Director Amy Mason said. “You also always want to make sure you're integrating a variety of cardiovascular and strength training activities.”

Mason said if you are just starting to begin an exercise routine, be sure to take your time and do only as much as you can handle.

In 1995 only 17-percent of Missourians were obese, but that was still enough to rank Missouri  seventh in the country for obesity.

So how do you stay in shape? Please tell us how.