According to a new study by WalletHub, a personal finance company that produces a wide range of surveys, Tennessee has either followed a diet or been outclassed, so to speak, by other fantastic states.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and Washington, DC, on 19 indicators, including the percentage of overweight and obese children and adults, the health care costs associated with obesity, the prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and the consumption of sugary drinks.

This year, they found Tennessee ranked fifth among the fatest states, down two places from third place last year, after Mississippi and West Virginia.

This year, Kentucky and Arkansas won third and fourth places, placing us fifth.

Utah, Colorado and Hawaii rank among the least obese states in the study this year, Hawaii beating Massachusetts.

Tennessee cities still rank among the largest nations

But, Tennessee is not yet ready to boast. A March 2018 study ranking cities on the same factors places each of the major metropolitan areas of the state in the top 20: Memphis in fourth place, Knoxville in sixth place, Chattanooga in 12th and Nashville in 16th .

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2016, more than seven out of ten American adults over 20 years old were overweight or obese. Although this rate is lower among children, obesity in children and adolescents continues to increase.

A trend in couch consumption may be a contributing factor: a report from the Physical Activity Council said that nearly 81.5 million Americans over the age of six were not physically active in 2016.

The WalletHub study, according to which November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, indicates that Tennessee ranks third for the percentage of adults with high cholesterol and fourth for the percentage of overweight children.

PRESS LOCAL JOURNALISM: Exercise your brain by staying informed

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