Most Obese/Overweight American Cities

Across the nation, the rate of obesity continues to increase, but certain areas appear to be more responsible for tipping the scales towards poor health outcomes than others. This study conducted by WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated metropolitan areas across 19 key indicators of weight-related problems to identify where obesity was most prevalent in America to highlight the pressing need for public health awareness, education, and interventions. The dataset ranges from the number of inactive adults to projected obesity rates by 2030 and access to healthy food. 

“Obesity is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., and it’s costing us big time. In the most overweight and obese cities, residents often lack easy access to healthy food and recreation opportunities, so investing in those areas should help improve people’s diets and exercise regimens, and reduce the financial burden overall,” said Cassandra Happe, who is a WalletHub analyst. 

Here’s a look at the top 3 most overweight and obese cities in the United States of America:

McAllen, Texas was ranked the most overweight/obese city in America due to having the largest percentage of obese adults (45%) with an additional 31% overweight adults. This city also has the second-highest percentage of obese teenagers as well as the second-highest percentage of obese children. Along with the general obesity statistics, residents are also very affected by diseases related to being overweight, for example, the city has the fourth-highest percentage of diabetes and the third-highest percentage of heart disease. All this may be largely due to the residents not exercising much, as this city has the highest percentage of physically inactive adults, and the lowest percentage of residents living close to parks or recreational facilities. 

Jackson, Mississippi comes in as the second most overweight/obese city with alarmingly high rates of teenage and adult obesity and the highest rate of obesity among children aged 10 to 17 years old (24%) and another 19% of young overweight people. The residents also have obesity-related health problems, for example, the city has the highest percentage of adults who have had a stroke, the fourth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes, and the sixth-highest percentage of high blood pressure. The outcome for this city does not look well as it has several contributing factors such as limited access to healthy food and lower than average exercise rates, resulting in Jackson having the second highest projected obesity rate for 2030. 

Shreveport, Louisiana is the third most overweight/obese, this city has high rates of obesity among children, teenagers and adults, with 36% of adults being overweight and another 36% being obese. This city has the second-highest percentage of adults (39%) with high cholesterol levels, and the highest percentage of high blood pressure ( over 40%). This may be due to residents eating unhealthy as the city has some of the lowest rates of adults who eat fruits and vegetables at least once a day. Unfortunately, many of the residents here also lack easy access to healthy food, and they are largely physically inactive. 

Rounding off the overall top five: Mobile, Alabama ranked 4th, and Little Rock, Arkansas ranked 5th. On the other end of the rankings of the least overweight/obese cities, the bottom 5 were: San Jose, California ranking 96th, Denver, Colorado ranking 97th, Boston, Massachusetts ranking 98th, Honolulu, Hawaii ranking 99th, and Seattle, Washington rounding off the list ranking 100.

In rankings for obese adults: McAllen, TX had the highest percentage ranking first, Little Rock, AR ranked second, Akron, OH ranked third, Mobile, AL ranked fourth and Wichita, KS ranked fifth. Scrolling down the list, Tucson, AZ ranked 96th, San Diego, CA ranked 97th, Bridgeport, CT ranked 98th, San Jose, CA ranked 99th, and Asheville, NC ranked 100th.

In ranking for physically inactive adults: McAllen, TX had the highest percentage ranking first, Mobile, AL ranked second, Jackson, MS ranked third, Miami, FL ranked fourth, and Lexington-Fayette, KY ranked fifth. At the bottom of the list, Sacramento, CA ranked 96th, Denver, CO ranked 97th, Raleigh, NC ranked 98th, Seattle, WA ranked 99th, and Provo, UT ranked 100th. 

In rankings for low fruit/vegetable consumption: Baton Rouge, LA had the highest percentage ranking first, Lafayette, LA ranked second, Shreveport, LA ranked third, Chattanooga, TN ranked fourth, and Memphis, TN ranked fifth. Moving down the list, Raleigh, NC ranked 84th, Sacramento, CA ranked 85th, Lexington-Fayette, KY ranked 86th, Allentown, PA ranked 87th, and Portland, ME ranked 88th. 

In rankings for diabetic adults: Mobile, AL had the highest percentage ranking first, Baton Rouge, LA ranked second, Memphis, TN ranked third, McAllen, TX ranked fourth and Jackson, MS ranked fifth. Rounding off the list, Honolulu, HI ranked 95th tied with Colorado Springs, CO, Asheville, NC ranked 97th, Seattle, WA ranked 98th, and Denver, CO ranked 99th tied with Bridgeport, CT. 

“Invest in nutrition education and promoting healthy eating habits in schools, workplaces, and communities,” says Dr. Jeffrey J. Fisher, director of the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center and associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Central Michigan University. “Bring back the USDA SuperTracker, an interactive food and physical activity tracking tool. Continue collaborating with the food industry on nutritional labeling to empower consumers to make better food choices. Work with the food industry to encourage the reformulation of products to include more plant-sourced foods.”

“Eating healthy on a budget can be challenging, but it is possible. Meal planning is a great tool to stick to a budget and avoid food waste,” said Dara W. Ford, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, Program Co-Director, Masters of Science in Nutrition Education, Professorial Lecturer, Department of Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences at the American University. “Some very nutritious foods are also foods that are low in cost including rice, beans, legumes, and grains. These products can offer complex carbohydrates and proteins. Along with this, canned beans are an excellent source of nutrients, and often are inexpensive. They also store well, and stocking up when costs are low is a great way to decrease expenditure. Replacing meats with beans lowers the price significantly and increases health outcomes. Fresh fruits and vegetables can add up. If you really want fresh, buy in-season produce to lower costs. Also, canned and frozen options are an excellent source of nutrition, have a longer shelf life, and are much lower in cost. If items you buy regularly are available in bulk, do a unit price comparison. This is often a good way to save money. Along with buying in bulk, purchasing store-brand products rather than name brands can result in significant savings. Finally, see if your grocery store has any kind of member savings.”

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that metro area, where a rank of 1 represents the worst conditions for that metric category.