COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A study by U.S. News & World Report found Ohio ranks in the top 10 states with the highest obesity rates.
The American obesity epidemic is estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system approximately $173 billion each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is also tied to other health issues, such as cancer, stroke and heart disease, the government agency claims.
In 22 states, at least 35% of adults in 2022 were obese – or had a body mass index of 30 or above – while no state met that threshold a decade ago, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The media company analyzed adult obesity rates for all 50 states, based on self-reported survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: a partnership between the CDC and state health departments.
Ohio ranked as the sixth-most obese state in America, with an obesity rate of 38%, compared to the national average of 33.9%. West Virginia took the No. 1 spot as the most obese state in the country with a rate of 41.3%, followed by Oklahoma at No. 2, Louisiana at No. 3, Mississippi at No. 4, Tennessee at No. 5, Alabama at No. 7, Indiana at No. 8, Delaware at No. 9 and Kentucky at No. 10.
The least obese states in the country according to the publication are Colorado, with an obesity rate of 24.9%, Vermont (26.4%), Massachusetts (26.8%), Hawaii (26.9%), California (38.1%), New Jersey (28.8%), New Hampshire (29.8%), New York (30%), Connecticut (30.4%) and Montana (30.6%).
