States Ranked by Percent Obese Highlights Pervasive Negative Trend

A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health detailed recent trends in the prevalence of obesity in the United States. Across the nation, the percent of the population has increased state-by-state over the 2008 to 2010 period:

A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health detailed recent trends in the prevalence of obesity in the United States. Across the nation, the percent of the population has increased state-by-state over the 2008 to 2010 period:

Nine of the ten states in the South have the highest obesity rates in America, while those in the West and Northeast have the lowest. For seven years running, Mississippi is in first place. The only state with an obesity rate of less than 20% is Colorado.

Moreover, a startling and negative trend is that, twenty years ago, there were no states with an obesity rate over 15%.

Average obesity rates per state, 2008 to end of 2010 average percentage. In brackets, percentage change over that three-year period:

• Mississippi 34.4% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 1
• Alabama 32.3% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 2
• West Virginia 32.2% (% rise 1.1) Ranking 3
• Tennessee 31.9% (% rise 1.2) Ranking 4
• Louisiana 31.6% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 5
• Louisiana 31.6% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 5
• Kentucky 31.5% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 6
• Oklahoma 31.4% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 7
• South Carolina 30.9% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 8
• Arkansas 30.6% (% rise 1.2) Ranking 9
• Michigan 30.5% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 10
• Missouri 30.3% (% rise 1.2) Ranking 11
• Texas 30.1% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 12
• Ohio 29.6% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 13
• North Carolina 29.4% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 14
• Indiana 29.1% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 15
• Kansas 29.0% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 16
• Georgia 28.7% (% rise 1.1) Ranking 17
• South Dakota 28.7% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 17
• Pennsylvania 28.5% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 19
• Iowa 28.1% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 20
• Delaware 28.0% (% rise 1.2) Ranking 21
• North Dakota 28.0% (% rise 1.1) Ranking 21
• Illinois 27.7% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 23
• Nebraska 27.6% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 24
• Wisconsin 27.4% (% rise 1.1) Ranking 25
• Maryland 27.1% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 26
• Maine 26.5% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 27
• Washington 26.4% (% rise 0.5) Ranking 28
• Florida 26.1% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 29
• Alaska 25.9% (% rise 1.6) Ranking 30
• Virginia 25.9% (% rise 1.2) Ranking 30
• Idaho 25.7% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 32
• New Hampshire 25.6% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 33
• New Mexico 25.6% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 33
• Arizona 25.4% (% rise 1.4) Ranking 35
• Oregon 25.4% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 35
• Wyoming 25.4% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 35
• Minnesota 25.3% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 38
• Nevada 25.0% (% rise 1.4) Ranking 39
• California 24.8% (% rise 0.6) Ranking 40
• New York 24.7% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 41
• Rhode Island 24.3% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 42
• New Jersey 24.1% (% rise 0.7) Ranking 43
• Montana 23.8% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 44
• Vermont 23.5% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 45
• Utah 23.4% (% rise 0.8) Ranking 46
• Hawaii 23.1% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 47
• Massachusetts 22.3% (% rise 0.6) Ranking 48
• Connecticut 21.8% (% rise 0.9) Ranking 49
• D.C. 21.7% (% rise 1.0) Ranking 50
• Colorado 19.8% (% rise 0.7) Ranking 51

“F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011”
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health
Jeffrey Levi, PhD., Laura M. Segal, MA., Rebecca St. Laurent, JD., David Kohn, MA. 

MedMarket Diligence report #S835 details the global market for products and technologies in the clinical management of obesity.