CHICAGO, IL-With November being National Diabetes Awareness Month and obesity costing the health care system $173 billion each year, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on 2026‘s Most Overweight & Obese States in America, to highlight where people are struggling the most to shed their extra pounds.
More than seven in 10 U.S. adults ages 20 and older are either overweight or obese, according to the most recent data from the CDC. Rates are lower for children and adolescents but have risen dramatically in the past few decades. America’s obesity problem is so prevalent that the weight-loss and diet control industry is massive, worth at least $90 billion. In addition, obesity costs our health care system $173 billion per year.
To determine where obesity and overweight most dangerously persist, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the share of obese and overweight residents to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs.
Top 5 Most Overweight States
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Alabama
Obesity & Overweight Problem in Alabama (1=Most Overweight; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank for Alabama: 5th
- 5th – % of Obese Adults
- 21st – % of Overweight Children
- 6th – % of Obese Children
- 5th – % of Physically Inactive Adults
- 3rd – % of Adults with High Cholesterol
- 10th – % of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day
- 6th – % of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
- 2nd – % of Adults with Hypertension
- 30th – Obesity-Related Death Rate
Media Release/Diana Polk/WalletHub
