Obesity Nation: Least And Most Obese States
March 8, 2013How does your state rate in the fight against obesity? Is it in the top ten least or most obese? Or somewhere in between?
A new Gallup and Healthways report shows that for the third year in a row, West Virginia comes out on top as the state with the highest obesity rate. (33.5%) The study indicates that the national obesity rate has pretty much remained steady. The national rate was 26.1% in 2011 and it was at 26.2% in 2012.
According to the report, state by state obesity statistics remained mostly unchanged with the exception of four states. Georgia, North Carolina, and New Jersey all showed an increase in obesity while the state of Delaware showed a decrease.
The ten states with the highest obesity rates include: West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
For the past two years, Colorado residents rated as the least obese. (18.7%) Ten other states with the least obese residents are: Massachusetts, Montana, Connecticut, California, Utah, Arizona, Rhode Island, Idaho, New Jersey, and Washington.
Gallup and Healthways has been tracking the weight of Americans’ on a daily basis since 2008.
