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Fitness

2020’s Most Overweight and Obese States in America

Being obese is the new normal.

douglasperrybio

Written by Douglas Perry Last updated on November 10, 2020

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and things are not looking good for the nation. People can become offended by the wording, but the facts don’t change, fat is the new normal according to data from the Centers for Diesease Control and Prevention.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and things are not looking good for the nation. People can become offended by the wording, but the facts don’t change, fat is the new normal according to data from the Centers for Diesease Control and Prevention.

However, beyond the obvious health issues, the cost of obesity threatens individuals and organizations as it weighs down the healthcare system. It’s like a perfect storm of a population that gets sicker and sicker as it, literally, grows, and with that comes more expense and the need for more healthcare resources to be devoted to a problem that might be, arguably, self-inflicted.

This is probably the point where you might see a thousand personal trainers jump up and scream about comorbidity, health, and exercise.

That’s great, but there is no escaping the fact that as memberships in gyms and health clubs has increased over the last three decades, as more money has gone into the fitness industry, the increase in obesity rates has not seen a commensurate decline, in fact, the opposite.

Source: Axios

There are also some interesting factors at play in the level of obesity, For example, while West Virginia has the lowest percentage of overweight adults, it has the second highest percentage of obese adults meaning that there is no middle ground.

The problem is, frankly, very, very big. But at the end of the day, the data shows that high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholestrol pretty much track with the worst states in the charts. You can check out the infographic on obesity factors among states here.

The Facts About the High Cost of Being Fat

  • $294.6 Billion: Estimated medical cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2019.
  • $9,506: Average annual diabetes-related health care costs for patients.
  • 2.3: Number of times by which a diabetes patient’s health care costs increase.
  • 14 & 18 Years: Reduction in the average male and female type 1 diabetes patient’s life expectancy, respectively.
  • 88 million: Number of American adults who have “prediabetes” (84% of them don’t know they have it).
  • 70%: Chances of developing diabetes if both your parents have type 2 diabetes.

The following data breaks down the top 20 states by prevalence of obesity, courtesy of Wallethub. Where does your state rank? And do you know why?

It’s worth asking the question whether there is a culture of obesity that can be identified by state and what are the demographic, socio-economic, and cultural factors driving the statistics.

Going to the gym or exercising more or eating better doesn’t seem to resonate equally across state boundaries. Figuring out why is an important part of finding solutions that aren’t just the usual fitness industry quick fixes and promises.

1 = Fattest State Total Score ‘Obesity & Overweight Prevalence’ Rank ‘Health Consequences’ Rank ‘Food & Fitness’ Rank
1 West Virginia 74.66 2 1 9
2 Mississippi 74.20 1 8 1
3 Arkansas 69.37 3 11 7
4 Kentucky 68.46 5 7 2
5 Tennessee 68.41 4 9 11
6 South Carolina 65.85 8 17 4
7 Louisiana 65.65 6 27 6
8 Alabama 65.15 9 15 5
9 Oklahoma 65.00 7 26 13
10 Missouri 62.39 11 19 17
11 Iowa 61.03 13 16 34
12 Indiana 61.02 10 31 16
13 Delaware 61.00 21 3 27
14 Ohio 60.70 16 14 15
15 Texas 60.23 12 39 12
16 Maine 59.81 28 2 44
17 Georgia 59.78 15 36 10
18 Virginia 58.58 23 23 3
19 Kansas 58.56 22 6 40
20 North Dakota 58.21 14 28 46
douglasperrybio

About Douglas Perry

Douglas Perry is a journalist who turned his passion for technology into his profession more than 20 years ago. Since then, he followed, reviewed, and wrote about trends and products that define our mobile lifestyle today. He helped create several technology publications in Europe as well as the US in the past; these days, Douglas earns his living as a technology product and content strategist.

Three teenage athletes at home keep him busy during his free time, but have allowed him to get just enough training time in to remain competitive in road cycling and swimming. Less frequently than he would want to, Douglas manages to squeeze a Criterium ride in his schedule, and occasionally a casual bike race and a 5K with his kids.

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