A new study has revealed the top US states facing obesity, with Mississippi taking the 5th spot.
The research, conducted by Universal Drugstore, analyzed factors such as overweight and obesity levels, childhood obesity and diabetes rates to uncover the top 10 US states and territories facing obesity.
You can view the full research here: https://www.universaldrugstore.com/health-news/worldwide-obesity-index
|
Rank
|
State/Territory
|
Overall Obesity score /10
|
|
1
|
Tennessee
|
8.58
|
|
2
|
Puerto Rico
|
8.02
|
|
3
|
Kentucky
|
7.78
|
|
4
|
Louisiana
|
7.73
|
|
5
|
Mississippi
|
7.62
|
|
6
|
Alabama
|
7.19
|
|
7
|
South Carolina
|
7.17
|
|
8
|
Guam
|
6.68
|
|
9
|
West Virginia
|
6.65
|
|
10
|
Oklahoma
|
6.60
|
Tennessee is most affected by obesity out of all states and territories in the US. Almost two in five (38.9%) adult residents in the country music capital state are obese, and over a third (36.6%) are classified as overweight using the BMI scale. Just over a fifth (20.9%) of children aged 10-17 are obese, and almost one in five (18.3%) are overweight.
One-eighth (12.2%) of the state’s adult population has diabetes, and less than half (52.5%) are physically active, achieving over 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. For children, just over a fifth (21.6%) of students in grades nine to twelve are physically active.
The US territory of Puerto Rico comes in second place as one of the locations most affected by obesity. The tropical island is home to an adult obesity rate of 34.1%, and over a third (36.4%) of the population is overweight. Of all children aged 10-17, around one in six (15.6%) are overweight.
Almost one in six (14.4%) adults on the island are diagnosed with diabetes, and just under a third (30.5%) are physically active. Just one in six (15.3%) children in grades nine to twelve are physically active.
Kentucky completes the top three US states and territories most affected by obesity. Almost two in five (37.7%) adult residents are obese and just under a third (31.9%) are overweight, according to the BMI scale. Regarding the state’s child population, almost a quarter (24.0%) of children aged 10-17 are obese, while over one in six (17.8%) are overweight.
Over one in ten (12.3%) adult residents of Kentucky have diabetes, and just over a third (36.3%) are physically active. The physical activity rate for students in grades nine to twelve is lower at 19.0%.
