BRIEFLY.

People are fatter in 31 of 50 states

WASHINGTON -- The ever-growing waistlines of Americans expanded a little bit more in 2005 as 31 states registered an increase in obesity among adults.

The findings led some health care experts to dispute the notion Tuesday that obesity is simply a personal choice.

They say that finding ways to improve fitness needs more attention from the government and employers as well as the food and beverage industry. The organization that tracked obesity on a state-by-state basis, Trust for America's Health, said better information and access are the keys to improving health.

The group found that nine of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South: Mississippi continued to lead the way. An estimated 29.5 percent of adults there are considered obese. It's followed by Alabama and West Virginia. Colorado remains the leanest state. California ranked 30th in the nation, with more than one-fifth of all Californians considered to be obese, according to the study. The ranking was slightly higher than last year, when California ranked 31st nationwide.

-- Staff and Wire Reports

Lawyer: Armitage leaked CIA name

WASHINGTON -- Richard L. Armitage, ex-deputy secretary of state, has acknowledged that he was the person whose conversation with a columnist in 2003 prompted a long, politically laden criminal investigation in what became known as the CIA leak case, a lawyer involved in the case said on Tuesday.

Armitage did not return calls for comment. But the lawyer and other associates of Armitage have said he has confirmed that he was the initial and primary source for columnist Robert D. Novak, whose column of July 14, 2003, identified Valerie Plame as a CIA officer.

The identification of Armitage as the original leaker to Novak ends what has been a tantalizing mystery. In recent months, however, Armitage's role had become clear to many, and it was recently reported by Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post.

-- The New York Times

Frist didn't meet license provision

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist did not meet all the requirements needed to keep his medical license active -- even though he gave paperwork to Tennessee officials indicating that he had, his office acknowledged Tuesday. Tennessee requires its licensed physicians to complete 40 hours of continuing medical education every two years.

Frist, a heart-lung surgeon who is considering a 2008 presidential run, submitted a license renewal with the Tennessee Health Department stating he has fulfilled that requirement.

Responding Tuesday to repeated requests from The Associated Press, a Frist spokesman said the Republican senator is working to clear up the problem and had contacted the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners to see if corrective steps are necessary.

-- Associated Press