These Are The Fattest States In America, According To A New Report

Published November 8, 2017
Updated December 18, 2017

The fattest states also rate as among the worst for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type two diabetes.

Source: WalletHub

In the last couple of decades, the United States has been largely associated with obesity across the world, but which states give our nation this reputation?

A new study from the personal finance website WalletHub, has ranked all 50 state, and the District of Columbia, in a number of metrics related to weight and health.

This study of the fattest states created a data set that is invaluable in understanding the health of this nation.

The states that were found to be the overall fattest, a metric based on both the percentage of obese and overweight people in the state were Mississippi, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana, in descending order.

U.S. Obesity facts

WalletHub

Many of these states actually have fairly low percentages of merely overweight adults and children but have some of the highest percentages of obese adults and children.

Louisiana, for example, has the fourth lowest percentage of overweight adults but has the highest percentage of obese adults.

This suggests that being overweight can quickly spiral into obesity in states with some of the worst health records.

These states also rate highly in metrics show unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Mississippi, the state which has the second highest percentage of obese adults and the highest for children, rates as the state with the highest percentage of inactive adults and adults who eat less than one serving of fruits or vegetables a day.

Childhood Obesity in U.S.

WalletHub

Many of these states also rate as among the worst for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type two diabetes.

On the other side of the spectrum, the least fat states, based on this metric, are Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Hawaii, and Montana.

Colorado has the lowest percentage of obese adults, and New Hampshire has the lowest for children. These states seem to foster healthier lifestyle choices in their citizens.

Fattest states in America

WalletHub

Colorado, the least fat state in the nation, has the highest number of physically active adults.

From this study, we can better understand the health problems in this nation, and see how unequally divided they are.

Hopefully, this data can be used to spur new policies that will help the U.S., and these most unhealthy states, in particular, address the obesity problems we have in this country.


Enjoy this article on the fattest states? Next, read how obesity rates are still rising in America, according to new poll. Then, check out this report that claims the United States is one of the world’s biggest global tax havens.

author
Gabe Paoletti
author
Gabe Paoletti is a New York City-based writer and a former Editorial Intern at All That's Interesting. He holds a Bachelor's in English from Fordham University.
editor
Gabe Paoletti
editor
Gabe Paoletti is a New York City-based writer and a former Editorial Intern at All That's Interesting. He holds a Bachelor's in English from Fordham University.