How States Measure Up on Obesity: The List

by LiveScience Staff

Date: 06 March 2013 Time: 01:29 PM ET

Not all states are equal when it comes to obesity rates, according to a new Gallup-Healthways poll finding that Colorado has the fewest obese residents and West Virginia the most.

The results are based on interviews of 353,564 Americans, ages 18 and older, conducted Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2012 in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Participants reported their height and weight, from which the researchers calculated body mass index. For this survey, BMI scores of 30 or higher were considered obese.

Read more about results of the state obesity poll.

States listed by percentage of residents who are considered obese:

Colorado: 18.7 percent
Massachusetts: 21.5 percent
Montana: 22.0
Connecticut: 22.7 percent
California: 23.1 percent
Utah: 23.9 percent
Arizona: 24.1
Rhode Island: 24.3 percent
Idaho: 24.4
New Jersey: 24.4 percent
Washington: 24.4
Nevada: 24.9 percent
New Mexico: 24.6 percent
Minnesota: 24.7 percent
Wyoming: 24.7 percent
New York: 24.9 percent
Florida: 25.1 percent
New Hampshire: 25.1 percent
Oregon: 25.4 percent
Hawaii: 25.7 percent
Vermont: 25.7 percent
Illinois: 26.0 percent
Virginia: 26.2 percent
Delaware: 26.3 percent
Kansas: 26.3 percent
South Dakota: 26.3 percent
Alaska: 26.4 percent
Maryland: 27.0 percent
Wisconsin: 27.1 percent
Missouri: 27.2 percent
Maine: 27.5 percent
North Dakota: 27.8 percent
Nebraska: 27.9 percent
Pennsylvania: 27.9 percent
South Carolina: 27.9 percent
Michigan: 28.5 percent
Georgia: 28.6 percent
Indiana: 28.8 percent
North Carolina: 28.9 percent
Texas: 28.9 percent
Iowa: 29.0 percent
Oklahoma: 29.2 percent
Ohio: 29.5 percent
Tennessee: 29.6 percent
Kentucky: 29.9 percent
Alabama: 30.4 percent
Louisiana: 30.9 percent
Arkansas: 31.4 percent
Mississippi: 32.2 percent
West Virginia: 33.5 percent

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