Which States in the U.S. Lead in Exercise, Gyms, and Body Image Trends?

Key Highlights:

• Vermont is the U.S. state most obsessed with weight loss culture, with a third of the residents regularly exercising (34.8%).
• New Yorkers lead the U.S. in health club participation, with 29.7% of state residents having a membership.
• Connecticut has the most overweight people in the U.S., with 36.5% of all residents having obesity.

Globally, the weight loss industry is now worth over $250B, with fitness apps, diet programs, and medications driving record growth in the past few years. A recent study by Ben’s Natural Health analyzed sports trends across the U.S. to identify the states most obsessed with weight loss culture.

The analysis compared U.S. states based on four key factors: health club membership rate, exercise levels, percentage of the overweight population, as well as U.S. Google search queries for weight-loss related topics, including Ozempic, diets, and “how to lose weight”. The final Weight Loss Obsession Score ranks states by taking into account all main factors.

Top 10 U.S. States Obsessed with Exercise, Gyms, and Body Image Trends

The U.S. state most obsessed with weight loss culture is Vermont, earning a score of 98/100. The state has the second-most people who do regular exercise, at 34.8%, over a third of all residents. People in Vermont are also looking for weight loss methods online at the second-highest rate in the U.S., with 15 queries for every 100 residents.

New York is 2nd in the ranking of the U.S. states focused on weight loss the most, with a score of 97. The state has the most people with health club memberships at 29.7%, as well as the highest rate of residents looking online for diets, Ozempic, and weight loss methods.

Massachusetts takes third place in the U.S. state rankings, scoring 95. Almost a third of residents here regularly exercise, with 31.1%, while there are 14.8 search queries online for diets and weight loss per 100 people. The overweight problem in Massachusetts is a little more prominent than in Vermont, with 35.2% diagnosed with extra weight.

Colorado is fourth among the U.S. states most obsessed with weight loss culture, getting a score of 93. The state stands out with the most people engaged in active sports life, with 35.4%, more than in Vermont. The rate of obesity here is similar to that in Massachusetts, at 35%.

In fifth place is Illinois, earning a weight loss obsession score of 90. Fitness activity is high here, with 27.3% of residents having a health club membership and 29.1% exercising regularly. The search for weight loss solutions online in Illinois is the same as in Colorado, with 14.4K Google queries per 100K people.

Connecticut follows closely with sixth place and a score of 88. This U.S. state has the biggest obesity problem in the top 10, and 36.5% of Connecticut residents are classified as overweight. Almost a third of people here regularly spend time on sports, while 28% have health club memberships.

In the U.S. state rankings, Washington places seventh, with a score of 80, 18 points below Vermont. The obesity trends here are the same as in Massachusetts, with 35.2% considered overweight. At the same time, 31.8% of all residents actively exercised, and 24.1% joined health clubs to support their lifestyle.

Nevada takes eighth place in the U.S. state rankings, scoring a weight loss obsession score of 79. Here, fewer people have club memberships (22.1%), but the sports trends are similar to other states in the top 10, with almost a third of residents exercising regularly, at 31%. Nevadans also look for information about weight loss online more often than in Washington, Illinois, or Colorado, with 14.8 queries per 100 people.

Ohio earns ninth position in the U.S. state rankings, with a score of 76. Similar to Nevada, only 22.1% of residents joined health clubs, but fewer people exercise often here, with 30.6%. The online activity related to weight loss methods is also the lowest in the top 10, at only 13.9 queries per 100 residents.

California rounds up the top 10 of the U.S. states most obsessed with weight loss culture, scoring 73. The state has the second-highest overweight rate in the ranking, at 36.4%, behind only Connecticut. The club membership is also the second highest in the top 10, with 29.2%.

A spokesperson from Ben’s Natural Health commented on the study: “America’s relationship with weight loss has evolved into more than just exercise and diet—it’s become a cultural phenomenon that blends technology, social media, and even pharmaceuticals. While increased awareness can encourage healthier lifestyles, it also creates pressure to pursue quick fixes instead of sustainable habits. The most impactful results still come from long-term behavioral changes, like consistent physical activity and balanced nutrition, rather than relying solely on trends or shortcuts.”

Weight Loss Culture

While being physically active and maintaining a healthy diet is good, when taken to the extreme, it can have the opposite effect. Much of the weight loss culture tends to take things to the extreme. Weight loss culture is widely considered harmful because it equates thinness with health and moral virtue, promotes an unrealistic and often unattainable ideal body type, and significantly contributes to psychological and physical health issues such as disordered eating and low self-esteem. 

Psychological Harms

• Body Dissatisfaction and Low Self-Esteem: By promoting narrow beauty standards, diet culture makes many people feel their bodies are inadequate, leading to poor body image, shame, guilt, and reduced self-worth.
• Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating: Dieting is a major risk factor and a strong predictor for developing a full-blown eating disorder (such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder). It normalizes behaviors like calorie counting, food restriction, and excessive exercise, which are often the precursors to these serious mental illnesses.
• Anxiety and Depression: The constant pressure to monitor food intake and appearance, coupled with the anxiety of “failing” on a diet, can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Social Isolation: Following rigid diets can cause individuals to avoid social events, especially those centered around food, leading to social withdrawal and isolation. 

Physical Harms

• Weight Cycling: The repeated process of losing and regaining weight (yo-yo dieting) is common, as most diets fail in the long term. This cycle can have negative impacts on physical health, including fluctuations in blood pressure and cholesterol, and a higher risk of muscle loss and future weight gain.
• Nutrient Deficiencies: Restrictive diets, especially fad diets that cut out entire food groups, can deprive the body of essential nutrients, leading to health issues like fatigue, bone density loss, and a weakened immune system.
• Avoidance of Healthcare: Experiences of weight stigma in medical settings can cause people in larger bodies to avoid seeking necessary preventative care or treatment for other health conditions, compounding existing health problems.
• Actual Health Obstruction: Diet culture often prioritizes appearance over actual holistic well-being, sometimes leading people to ignore more meaningful health goals (like improving cholesterol or fitness levels) in pursuit of an arbitrary number on a scale. 

Societal and Systemic Issues

• Weight Stigma and Discrimination: Diet culture fuels anti-fat bias by promoting the false idea that weight is entirely a matter of personal control and moral failing (e.g., laziness, lack of willpower). This leads to widespread discrimination in workplaces, education, and even healthcare, which itself is a major source of chronic stress and negative health outcomes.
• Financial Exploitation: The diet and weight loss industry is a multi-billion-dollar business that profits from exploiting insecurities and promoting “quick fixes” that are often not evidence-based or sustainable. 

Appreciate Your Uniqueness and Individuality

Instead of following weight loss culture, focus on developing a healthy relationship with your body by practicing self-compassion, intuitive eating, and joyful movement. Engage in activities that bring you happiness, build a supportive community, and prioritize your mental and physical well-being over achieving a specific body size. 

Cultivate a Positive Body Image and Mindset 

• Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you would a friend. Avoid negative self-talk and focus on appreciation for your body’s abilities.
• Educate yourself: Learn about how diet culture works to undermine your body trust and understand that the “diet” industry often fails and blames the user.
• Challenge diet mentality: Unsubscribe from diet-related content, get rid of diet books, and refuse to engage in “diet talk”.
• Focus on health, not just weight: Recognize that health is indicated by more than just a number on the scale. Prioritize behaviors like enjoying movement, eating nourishing foods, and getting adequate rest. 

Rebuild Your Relationship with Food and Movement 

• Practice intuitive eating: Tune into your body’s hunger and fullness cues instead of following external rules. Give yourself unconditional permission to eat and ditch food rules and labels like “good” or “bad”.
• Find joyful movement: Engage in physical activities you genuinely enjoy, rather than exercising out of obligation or as punishment for eating.
• Center on whole foods: Shape your meals around whole, unprocessed foods to fuel your body, rather than restricting to the point of deprivation. 

Build a Supportive Environment 

• Curate your social media: Unfollow or block accounts that promote weight loss, before-and-after photos, or “quick fix” products. Fill your feed with body-positive and anti-diet content.
• Surround yourself with positivity: Connect with friends, family, or online communities that support your anti-diet journey and celebrate your body and life as they are.
• Seek professional help: Consult a registered dietitian who practices from a weight-inclusive or intuitive eating perspective, or find a therapist to help you work through any disordered eating patterns. 

Engage in Life Outside of Your Body 

• Pursue your passions: Use the time and energy you would have spent on dieting to learn a new hobby, read books, or spend quality time with loved ones.
• Focus on experiences: When you go on vacation or out to eat, focus on enjoying the moment and making memories rather than worrying about your appearance. 

Be kind to yourself and try not to compare yourself to another person. Remember that there are no quick fixes, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dieting, exercise, and weight loss, because everyone has their unique individual needs.

This article was created at the WHN News Desk in collaboration with Cecilia on behalf of Ben’s Natural Health, working to create quality supplements so that you can rest easy, knowing that it is a high-quality, pure, effective and and ethically sourced formulation, ensuring that you should not compromise when it comes to your health.

As with anything you read on the internet, this article on the U.S. state rankings should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.