Mississippi takes home the cake as it tops the list of fattest state in America. WalletHub released its latest finding that provides an in-depth perspective at the growing prevalence of obesity in the United States.
Obesity In The United States
Obesity is a global issue. A recent study revealed that about one-third of the world's population is classified as obese, with the United States as the country with the most number of obese young adults and children. Despite knowing the potential risks of the being obese, many individuals are not keen on making any positive lifestyle changes as evidenced by the still growing number.
In the earlier report released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), it showed that one out of five Americans, across all states, is obese.
The joint study conducted by the Imperial College London and World Health Organization in 2016 bared that the number of obese children and teenagers increased 10 times more than the data from 40 years back.
Ironically, the highest obesity rates are more prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries. In the United States, childhood and teen obesity rates remain high, which means that efforts to curb it are not effective. The latest data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that as much as 70.7 percent of adults aged 20 and older and 9.4 percent of children as young as 2 to 5 years old are obese.
The WalletHub Data
In an attempt to provide a better picture on the prevalence of overweight and obese individuals, WalletHub dissected the obesity rates in 50 states using 19 key metrics. The analysis also took into account several factors that contribute to the growing number.
Mississippi ranked as the fattest state with a total score of 66.44. By looking at the numbers, the state has the second highest percentage of obese adults and the most number of obese children. Their population also has the most adults living a sedentary lifestyle and the least in terms of vegetable and fruit consumption.
To correlate obesity and risk for cardiovascular diseases, the researchers also looked at the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Mississippi ranked third and first, respectively.
The data strongly supported that those who live an unhealthy lifestyle are at most risk of becoming overweight or obese.
Top five states with the most overweight adults are Nevada, Alaska, New Jersey, Montana, and Florida. The states with the highest number of obese adults include Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas.
One of the factors in addressing obesity and overweight problems is by treating it early on when children are still young. States with the most overweight children are North Dakota, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, and South Dakota. Mississippi, Texas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana are the states with the highest percentage of obese children.
