Here’s Where Massachusetts Ranks In Terms Of Obesity

MASSACHUSETTS — Obesity is second only to smoking as the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, but how big is the problem in Massachusetts?

Nationally, 4 in 10 U.S. adults ages 20 and older are obese, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates are lower for children and adolescents but have risen drastically in the past few decades.

Massachusetts ranks 49th in obesity, according to an analysis from the personal finance website WalletHub that uses publicly available data from the CDC, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and USDA, as well as data from health advocacy groups.

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A separate report looked at obesity rates in 100 cities. Boston ranks 96th on that list.

Obesity, which has nearly tripled over the past 60 years in the United States, is considered a public health crisis, in part due to its overlap and causal relationship with other diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer. Obesity also greatly increases the risks of mortality and disability.

Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of rising obesity rates, according to recent findings by the Physical Activity Council. According to the report, 61.8 million Americans aged 6 and older were completely inactive in 2024.

Obesity costs the U.S. health care system around $173 billion per year, according to the CDC. Americans spend an estimated $90 billion on weight-loss and diet control aids.

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