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CDC: More Than Seven in 10 U.S. Adults Aged 20 and Older are Either Overweight or Obese

By  //  December 1, 2017

2017’s Fattest States in America: Florida ranks third in highest percentage of overweight children

With the lack of physical activity a leading cause of obesity, more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese.

WALLETHUB — “Fat” is becoming the new normal in America. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese.

Rates are lower for children and adolescents but have risen steadily almost every year. So prevalent has America’s obesity problem grown that the weight-loss industry continues to expand.

This year, Americans are expected to spend more than $68 billion just on programs designed to help them shed the extra pounds. The U.S. spends in total nearly $200 billion in annual health care costs related to obesity.

New findings by the Physical Activity Council suggest a need for more aggressive efforts to combat the issue. According to the report, nearly 81.5 million Americans aged 6 and older were completely inactive in 2016.

Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of obesity, in addition to genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness.

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But the problem is bigger in some states than in others. To determine where obesity and overweight most dangerously persist, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Health Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness; and 19 key metrics. Our data set ranges from share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs.

Ranking 1 through 50 with 1 being the fattest and 50 the least fat, Mississippi was fattest, Colorado the least fat and Florida near the middle at 23. However, Florida was ranked 3rd in the highest percentage of overweight children.

CLICK HERE for all of the details of WalletHub’s findings and analysis, as well as expert commentary from a panel of researchers and a full description of the methodology.

For a more local perspective on the obesity and overweight problem in the U.S., check out WalletHub’s Fattest Cities report. Also to help spread awareness about diabetes, WalletHub assembled an interesting infographic exploring the impact of the disease as well as what folks are doing to fight back.

Florida was ranked third in the highest percentage of overweight children.

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