The numbers are in!
The personal finance website WalletHub decided to analyze where exactly all that excess weight resides and which U.S. metro areas appear to be doing little in the way of helping stem the tide of obesity. Analysts for the site examined population data from the top 100 U.S. metropolitan areas, comparing them across a total of 17 different metrics, ultimately rating each in three major categories: obese and overweight population, health problems based on weight, and healthy environments. Information sources included the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Agriculture, the Trust for America’s Health, and other WalletHub proprietary research.
So without further ado, here are the cities where you need to loosen your belt a little bit because your belly may be a little big bigger (*smile*).
10. Knoxville, TN
9. Winston-Salem, NC
8. Lafayette, LA
7. Mobile, AL
6. Chattanooga, TN-GA
5. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
4. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
(list continued on next page)
One of the glaring results of the study points to the South — 19 of the top 20 overweight metro areas are below the Mason-Dixon Line. “Several southern metro areas have some of the highest obesity and overweight rates in the country, which snowball into some alarming health issues like heart disease, diabetes and shorter life expectancy overall.
Major contributors to this trend are food desserts, and a lack of resource that prevent them from having an active lifestyle such as community centers, gyms, and active lifestyle groups.