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- A 2020 ranking of the most obese states in the United States looks a lot like what it was in 2019.
- States that are known to have a high prevalence of overweight citizens continue to rank high.
- The first place has been passed since last year.
In 2019, WalletHub established a ranking of the 50 US states based on data related to the number of people who are overweight or obese. At that point, Mississippi was in the top spot, which was no surprise as it tends to lead lists like this. The 2020 data has shaken things up a bit, and there is a new top dog when it comes to the “fatter” states.
The data the website uses to rank it includes the “obesity and overweight prevalence rank,” which is a measure of the percentage of the population that is overweight or obese. The final ranking also includes the “Health Consequences Ranking”, which is the number of health problems people experience due to being overweight, as well as the “Diet and Fitness Ranking”, which measures healthy food options and general fitness level.
Before we dive to the top of the list, let’s take a look at the bottom, which would indicate the least overweight states and those with higher fitness and healthy eating scores. Starting with the “healthiest” state first:
- Utah
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- District of Colombia *
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- South Dakota
- California
- Washington
Okay, a few pretty obvious here. Lots of health “nuts” in California of course and places like Montana and South Dakota have large parts of the population with active outdoor jobs, which helps keep weight in check. Colorado and Hawaii are also quite progressive and generally follow new health trends more closely than many other states.
Now, at the top of the list, indicating the most obese states in the country:
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Caroline from the south
- Louisiana
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Missouri
Very well well. The Mississippi was dethroned by none other than West Virginia. This is hardly a surprise, as WV was in a tight race for first place in 2019 and it looks like it’s done enough to steal first place. Other fallout from the previous year included Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
Put simply, the list hasn’t changed much since the previous count, and that shouldn’t shock anyone who has lived in 2020. This hasn’t exactly been the best year for starting new healthy routines. . We have been locked in because of the pandemic and even going somewhere like a nature trail or the beach has resulted in serious health risks. So, people spend much of the year indoors, which means little activity and a lot of poor food choices.
2021 should be better… I hope. So maybe we can see some of the “more obese” states on the list pulling out of their funk and getting a little healthier. In other words, assuming the pandemic can be pushed back and subdued in the coming months.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable devices, smartphones, and future technologies. Most recently, Mike served as a technical writer at The Daily Dot and has been featured on USA Today, Time.com, and countless other websites and print. His love of reporting comes right after his gambling addiction.
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