PA's Latest Obesity Ranking: How It Compares To America

Obesity is second only to smoking as the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and the problem is significant in Pennsylvania.

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.

Pennsylvania sits exactly in the middle of America, ranking 25th overall in obesity, according to an analysis from the personal finance website WalletHub. The study used publicly available data from the CDC, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and USDA, as well as data from health advocacy groups to put together their ranking.

A separate report looked at obesity rates in 100 cities across the nation. Philadelphia ranked 68th, while Pittsburgh ranked 76th on that list.

As a point of comparison, New York City scored better than both Pennsylvania cities (92nd), but cities like Houston (33rd), Austin (49th), Baltimore (58th), and Atlanta (63rd) all scored worse.

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.