In the US these days it seems more people are overweight than not. At least according to the accepted medical standards of obesity. It’s a hot topic for sure, especially amid the body positivity movement. I’m not here to praise or shame anyone. It’s not my place. Just simply to report on the data. And this data comes to us from our friends at WalletHub who recently released a list of the most overweight and obese states. And South Carolina ranked in the top 10 most overweight states. North Carolina wasn’t too far behind either.
Wallet Hub reports that recent data from the CDC has more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older classified as either overweight or obese. And while obesity rates are lower in children and adolescents those numbers have been trending steeply upward in recent years. This comes with a hefty price tag for the health care industry in the US costing roughly $173 billion per year. That’s a ton of money. What can be done to combat this growing epidemic? It’s not a simple answer.
Many Americans sit at a desk all day and getting physical activity can be hard. One thing I have personally done to keep myself active is purchase a walking pad treadmill that I use in conjunction with a stand up desk while working. I am able to consistently get 20-30,000 steps in just while at work (and taking breaks). And while obesity is a problem in the entire country, it is a larger issue in some states. That’s what this data from WalletHub dives into. The purpose of their research was to “determine where obesity and overweight most dangerously persist”. WalletHub researchers compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key metrics including the share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs.
See where both North and South Carolina ranked among the most overweight and obese states below. Read the full study from WalletHub here.
12. North Carolina
Score: 63.26
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 17
Health Consequences: 23
Food & Fitness: 1
A worst in the US score for Food & Fitness boosted NC to number 12 on the list.
9. South Carolina
Score: 65.81
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 8
Health Consequences: 15
Food & Fitness: 25
And South Carolina ranks 3 spots worse on the list. Mainly due to a high number of individuals who are obese or overweight according to this data.
The Top 5
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
