Posted by: Adam McCann

“Fat” is becoming the new normal in America. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese. Rates are lower for children and adolescents but have risen drastically in the past few decades. So prevalent has America’s obesity problem grown that the weight-loss industry continues to expand. In 2017, the U.S. weight loss and diet control market was valued at $66 billion. The U.S. spends in total nearly $200 billion in annual health care costs related to obesity.

New findings by the Physical Activity Council suggest a need for more aggressive efforts to combat the issue. According to the report, 82.4 million Americans aged 6 and older were completely inactive in 2017. Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of obesity, in addition to genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness.

But the problem is bigger in some states than in others. To determine where obesity and overweight most dangerously persist, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key metrics. Our data set ranges from share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs. Read on for our findings, expert commentary from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

For a more local perspective on the obesity and overweight problem in the U.S., check out WalletHub’s Fattest Cities report.

1. Main Findings
2. Most & Least Obese States
3. Ask the Experts
4. Most Popular Comfort Foods by State
5. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/16585/geochart-sedentary.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2DqHDR7>  

Fattest States in the U.S.

Overall Rank (1 = Fattest)	State	Total Score	‘Obesity & Overweight Prevalence’ Rank	‘Health Consequences’ Rank	‘Food & Fitness’ Rank
1	Mississippi	72.97	1	2	3
2	West Virginia	70.14	7	1	17
3	Arkansas	69.69	2	4	4
4	Kentucky	67.71	5	5	1
5	Tennessee	67.67	3	9	7
6	Louisiana	66.89	6	7	2
7	Alabama	64.56	4	24	6
8	South Carolina	63.64	10	18	13
9	Oklahoma	63.09	8	37	10
10	Texas	62.45	9	39	8
11	Indiana	62.44	12	13	11
12	Ohio	62.39	11	20	9
13	Delaware	62.27	13	11	16
14	Georgia	61.46	15	16	5
15	Michigan	61.30	14	19	15
16	Missouri	59.70	16	27	22
17	North Carolina	59.17	28	10	12
18	Iowa	58.77	20	26	26
19	Maine	58.36	30	6	36
20	Kansas	58.30	25	17	29
21	Wisconsin	57.87	27	12	42
22	Rhode Island	57.86	17	36	35
23	Nebraska	57.24	21	32	39
24	Maryland	57.12	22	38	23
25	Pennsylvania	56.83	23	34	27
26	Wyoming	56.72	24	23	38
27	North Dakota	56.46	19	43	37
28	Illinois	56.15	29	30	20
29	Florida	56.12	26	41	18
30	Alaska	55.90	34	21	28
31	Virginia	55.83	33	22	24
32	New Mexico	55.49	36	25	19
33	South Dakota	55.15	18	44	33
34	Washington	55.10	38	15	47
35	New Hampshire	55.10	46	3	44
36	Arizona	54.68	31	40	21
37	New York	53.75	37	31	34
38	Minnesota	53.64	32	33	40
39	Nevada	53.07	39	45	14
40	Idaho	52.52	41	28	45
41	New Jersey	52.40	35	42	32
42	Oregon	52.13	49	8	41
43	Vermont	52.07	48	14	51
44	Connecticut	51.80	42	35	46
45	Montana	50.83	47	29	43
46	California	49.97	40	49	48
47	District of Columbia	49.49	43	46	31
48	Massachusetts	48.09	44	47	50
49	Hawaii	46.97	45	51	25
50	Utah	44.41	50	50	30
51	Colorado	44.35	51	48	49

Most & Least Obese States

Although this report examines the prevalence of obesity, it also evaluates the levels of inactivity and overweight in each state. However, given the particularly harmful effects of obesity, we constructed a separate table below that focuses just on obesity rates to highlight the states in which the problem is most concerning. Both adults and children were considered for this separate ranking. A rank of No. 1 corresponds with the highest obesity rate.

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/16585/geochart-obese.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2DqHDR7>  

Ask the Experts

Our collective medical tab of nearly $200 billion is just one of the consequences of obesity. To shed more light on the issue and find solutions that consumers and local governments can follow, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some tips for eating healthy without breaking the bank?
2. What are the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight?
3. What policies should government pursue to combat obesity and rein in the cost of health care?
4. What is the impact of obesity on the economy and worker productivity?
5. Should overweight people pay a higher premium for their health insurance? Do you think they will in the future, based on recent health care proposals?

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• Arpita Basu Ph.D., MPH, RD/LD – Associate Professor, Kinesiology & Nutrition Sciences, SAHS, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Allen Jackson Ed.D., FACSM, FNAK – Regents Professsor, Department of Kinesiology Health Promotion and Recreation, University of North Texas
• Stephen D. Ball State Specialist & Professor, University of Missouri
• Christopher L. Melby DrPH, MPH – Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Nutrition Metabolism Laboratory, Colorado State University
• Ryan L. Olson Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, KHPR Department, University of North Texas

Most Popular Comfort Foods by State

Embed on your website<a href="https://ift.tt/1HrwlDm"> <img src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/posts/55750/comfort-foods-by-state-2018-v3.png" width="" height="" alt="" /> </a> <div style="width:px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2DqHDR7>  

Methodology

In order to determine the fattest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Health Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the fattest state. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we calculated the population size using the square root of the population in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence – Total Points: 60

• Share of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Share of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Share of Overweight Teenagers: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)Note: “Teenagers” includes the population aged 14 to 18.
• Share of Obese Teenagers: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)Note: “Teenagers” includes the population aged 14 to 18.
• Share of Overweight Children: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)Note: “Children” includes the population aged 10 to 17.
• Share of Obese Children: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)Note: “Children” includes the population aged 10 to 17.
• Projected Obesity Rate in 2030: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

Health Consequences – Total Points: 25

• Share of Adults with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Share of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Projected Diabetes Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Share of Adults with Hypertension: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Heart Disease Rate: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Projected Coronary Heart Disease & Stroke Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Obesity-Related Death Rate: Double Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Obesity-Related Health Care Costs: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)Note: This metric measures the annual incremental health care costs attributable to obesity per 100,000 adults, as calculated by Gallup, which estimates per-person cost at $1,573.
• Projected Obesity-Related Care Cost Increase by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Expanded Health Insurance Coverage for Nutritional Counseling: Half Weight (~1.19 Points)Note: This binary metric measures whether Nutritional Counseling is covered, partially covered or bot covered at all by health insurance in every state.

Food & Fitness – Total Points: 15

• Share of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Healthy-Food Access: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of Census Tracts that have at least one healthier food retailer located within the tract or within 0.5 miles of tract boundaries.
• Fast-Food Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Presence of Middle and High Schools Offering Salad Bars: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)Note: This indicator represents the number of middle and high schools that offer a self-serve salad bar.
• Share of Physically Inactive Adults: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Share of Physically Inactive Children and Teenagers Aged 6-17 Years: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

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 Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Trust for America's Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Gallup, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, National Conference of State Legislatures and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Image: Nitr / Shutterstock.com

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