The 10 Fattest States in America

The residents of these 10 states may want to start thinking about making weight loss their New Year's resolution a bit early.
By Emily Stewart ,

The holiday season is upon us, and we all know what that means: weight gain. The residents of some states may want to really hold back on the egg nog, turkey and other goodies, lest their waistlines continue to expand even further.

It's no secret America has a bit of a weight problem. According to Gallup, the U.S. obesity rate reached 27.7% in 2014, up from 27.1% in 2013 and from 25.5% in 2008, when the research company began tracking our collective fatness. Gallup also found that an additional 35.2% of Americans are overweight, while 35.1% are normal weight and 2.0% are underweight.

Obesity impacts certain groups disproportionately, based on factors like age, gender, income and ethnicity. Those with an annual income of less than $36,000 have a higher propensity towards obesity, as do individuals between the ages of 45 and 64.

Location is also a factor -- as evidenced in a recent study from WalletHub. The personal finance website ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C. identify the fattest states in America. It based its ranking on two basic dimensions: obesity and overweight prevalence and unhealthy habits and consequences. The former takes into account overweight and obesity rates among adults and children, and the latter the percentage of residents who are physically inactive, suffer from health-related issues like high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, eat less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day, and have barriers to access to healthy foods. It also contemplates the rate of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adolescents and death rate due to obesity.

Some of the findings were surprising. For example, adults in West Virginia suffer from obesity at a rate two times higher than in Colorado. The same comparison can be made between children in Mississippi and Oregon.

Read on to find out which states are the fattest in America -- and whose residents may want to start thinking about making weight loss their New Year's resolution.

10. North Dakota
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 11
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 14

According to Gallup, the Midwest just edges out the South for adult obesity, with a 29.7% rate compared to 29.2%. Thus, it's no surprise North Dakota has a bit of a weight problem. In fact, WalletHub ranks North Dakota as the state with the highest percent of overweight children.

A CDC profile on the state found that 36.6% of adults are overweight and 31.0% are obese, and 40.3% and 27.4% of adults report consuming fruits and vegetables less than one time a day, respectively.

9. Oklahoma
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 10
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 17

Believe it or not, Oklahoma outranks its southern neighbor, Texas, which has four of the top ten fattest cities in the country. While residents of the Sooner State have a slightly lower obesity rate than Texans, they have much unhealthier habits, ranking 14 as compared to Texas' 26.

Oklahoma ranks fourth for the highest percentage of physically inactive residents and fifth for most residents with high cholesterol and diabetes. According to a CDC profile on the state, more than two-thirds of Oklahoma adults are overweight, and less than half get in the recommended amount of exercise. In a one-month period, a third of adults participate in no physical activity at all.

8. Alabama
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 8
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 19

WalletHub lists Alabama as the eighth fattest state in America, but according to Gallup, it ranks even higher.

In May, the organization listed the Yellowhammer state as the sixth most obese state in the Nation, with nearly a third of its residents living with a significant amount of excess weight. The WalletHub study also pointed to another potentially dangerous issue in Alabama health: a high prevalence of diabetes.

7. Kentucky
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 6
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 8

According to a state profile from the CDC, more than two thirds of Kentucky adults are overweight or obese, as are about one third of adolescents. More than two thirds of adolescents drink soda regularly, while about half eat fruit or consume 100% fruit juices daily.

Kentucky ranks fifth as the state with highest percentage of obese adults and third in high cholesterol prevalence in the WalletHub study.

6. Arkansas
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 4
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 13

Arkansas has the third highest rate of adult obesity and of residents who are physically inactive, and it ranks the same as having the highest percentage adults eating less than one serving of fruits or vegetables per day.

According to a 2015 CDC survey, 50.5% of adults say they consume fruit less than once a day, and 28% fail to eat a vegetable each day as well. Physical activity among adolescents is a problem as well, with 19.9% reporting no participation in physical activity in a one-week period, while 32.8% said they watched television three hours or more on an average school day.

5. South Carolina
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 3
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 15

WalletHub ranks South Carolina as the second-worst offender on childhood obesity and as a state with high incidence of hypertension and high cholesterol.

According to the CDC, 16.8% of South Carolina adolescents are overweight, and 13.9% are obese. About half of adolescents fall short when it comes to eating their fruits and veggies at least once a day.

4. Tennessee
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 5
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 6

Obesity is a problem among children and adults alike in Tennessee, with WalletHub ranking it in the top five worst offenders on both. Lethargy is also an issue in the Volunteer state, which is listed second in inactivity.

More than a third of adults take part in 150 minutes or more of aerobic physical activity per week, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, the same proportion take part in no physical activity at all.



3. West Virginia
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 6
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 1

The state of West Virginia ranks highest in WalletHub's unhealthy habits and consequences ranking. It is the home of the highest percentage of residents with diabetes and has high rates of hypertension and adult obesity as well.

A CDC profile on the state found that 46% of adults consume fruit less than once a day, and 24.2% fail to eat vegetables daily as well. It also discovered that 79.9% of adolescents drink soda or pop in a given week, while just 34.9% eat a fruit or drink 100% fruit juice daily.

2. Louisiana
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 2
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 2

Louisiana ranks second in both of WalletHub's categories, making it the second fattest state in America, according to the study. It also falls second in childhood obesity rates and second in populations failing to eat their fruits and veggies. And, it has the highest hypertension rate of anywhere.

1. Mississippi 
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence Rank: 1
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences Rank: 3

According to WalletHub, Mississippi is the fattest state in America. It has the highest percentage of obese children and adults of any state in the country and the most inactive residents as well.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has outlined a 2015 obesity action plan, which includes appropriating funds to establish physical activity incentive grants, educating Mississippians on the basic causes of obesity and promoting healthy food choices in cafeterias.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.

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