The recent study, conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance website, cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data revealing that 7 out of 10 Americans aged 20 or older are overweight or obese.
“'Fat' is becoming the new normal in America,” the report noted.
The WalletHub study found that among the top 5 states with fat adults, Mississippi took first place, followed by West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
WalletHub’s “Fattest States” report listed Utah as the least fat state, exceeding Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California.
The capital of the country, Washington DC, found its way into the bottom 10 of the study.
Obesity is a serious problem in the United States. The country spends an estimated $200 billion in providing health care related to obesity. The diet control business sector has gained over $72 billion yearly, according to data cited in the report.
Rates of obesity among children and teens are significantly lower, although they are higher in comparison with those of the last few decades, according to the summary.
At the same time, 82.1 million of American people older than six were “completely inactive in 2018”, a major factor for obesity, alongside genetics, emotional instability and lack of sleep, WalletHub said, referring to Physical Activity Council research.
