Massachusetts Among Least Overweight States In U.S.: New Study

MASSACHUSETTS — Compared to the rest of the United States, the people of Massachusetts are actually in pretty good shape.

Massachusetts ranked 49th in a new analysis of the most overweight and obese states in the United States.

According to the analysis by WalletHub, which compiled the study from publicly available data on obesity in the United States, the state with the lowest levels of overweight and obese residents is Colorado. The state with the highest levels is West Virginia.

More than 7 in 10 U.S. adults 20 and older are either overweight or obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Rates are lower for children, but still have risen in recent years. About 22 percent of children ages 12-19 are obese, as are 21 percent of those 6-11 and 13 percent of those 2-5.

Obesity is a costly problem, from the standpoint of compromised health, but also in capital outlay. The CDC puts the cost of obesity to the health care system at $173 billion per year. Additionally, Americans spent about $75 billion on weight loss products.

Health experts say sedentary lifestyles and a lack of physical activity are leading causes of obesity, along with genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness. A recent report from the Physical Activity Council showed 68.6 million Americans age 6 and older were completely inactive in 2022.

According to the WalletHub analysis, the five most obese metropolitan areas in the United States are:

1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
2. Memphis, Tennessee (including parts of Arkansas and Mississippi)
3. Mobile, Alabama
4. Knoxville, Tennessee
5. Jackson, Mississippi

At the other end of the spectrum, the five least obese metro areas are:

1. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado
2. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
3. Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Newton, New Hampshire
4. Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota (including part of Wisconsin)
5. Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The five most obese states are:

1. West Virginia
2. Mississippi
3. Kentucky
4. Louisiana
5. Arkansas

The five least obese states are:

1. Colorado
2. Utah
3. Massachusetts
4. Hawaii
5. District of Columbia

To compile the report, WalletHub used its own research, as well as data from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Gallup-Sharecare and the Trust for America’s Health.

The report is based on 31 measures, ranging from the share of the obese and overweight population to the consumption of sugary beverages among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs.