WalletHub set out to determine the “Fattest” states in the country, looking at each state on a variety of factors including share of obese and overweight population, to obesity-related health care costs, sugary beverage consumption and more.
Overall, Mississippi was named the “Fattest” state in the country, scoring a 70.66 and ranking number one for Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, which includes share of overweight and obese adults, teenagers and children. It also came in seventh for Health Consequences, which includes adults, teens and children with diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, and tenth for Food & Fitness.
South Carolina has traditionally been in the top 10 but this year we slipped to number 13. The food & fitness category is what sunk us. As we have fewer gyms per capita than most states and our restaurants have fewer healthy options.
The Top Ten “Fattest” States In The Country
(Click herefor the complete list)
- Mississippi
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Ohio
A few other notes from the study:
- Nevada is the state with the highest percentage of overweight adults, while District of Columbia has the lowest.
- West Virginia has the highest percentage of obese adults, while Colorado has the lowest
- Tennessee has the highest percentage of overweight children, while Louisiana has the lowest.
- Mississippi as the highest percentage over obese children, while Minnesota has the lowest