Most and Least Obese States in 2016: Full Rankings
A new report ranks the most and least obese U.S. states in 2016.
West Virginia had the highest obesity rate, with 37.7 percent of residents who are obese, while Colorado had the lowest rate, at 22.3 percent. [Read the full story on state obesity rates].
The full list is below. States are ranked by their obesity rates in 2016, from highest to lowest.
1. West Virginia: 37.7 percent
2. Mississippi: 37.3 percent
3. (tie) Alabama and Arkansas: 35.7 percent
5. Louisiana: 35.5 percent
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6. Tennessee: 34.8 percent
7. Kentucky: 34.2 percent
8. Texas: 33.7 percent
9. Oklahoma: 32.8 percent
10. (tie) Indiana and Michigan: 32.5 percent
12. South Carolina: 32.3 percent
13. (tie) Iowa and Nebraska: 32 percent
15. North Dakota: 31.9 percent
16. North Carolina: 31.8 percent
17. Missouri: 31.7 percent
18. Illinois: 31.6 percent
19. Ohio: 31.5 percent
20. (tie) Alaska and Georgia: 31.4 percent
22. Kansas: 31.2 percent
23. (tie) Delaware and Wisconsin: 30.7 percent
25. Pennsylvania: 30.3 percent
26. (tie) Maine and Maryland: 29.9 percent
28. South Dakota: 29.6 percent
29. (tie) Arizona and Virginia: 29 percent
31. Oregon: 28.7 percent
32. Washington: 28.6 percent
33. New Mexico: 28.3 percent
34. Minnesota: 27.8 percent
35. Wyoming: 27.7 percent
36. (tie) Florida, Idaho and New Jersey: 27.4 percent
39. Vermont: 27.1 percent
40. (tie) New Hampshire and Rhode Island: 26.6 percent
42. Connecticut: 26 percent
43. Nevada: 25.8 percent
44. (tie) Montana and New York: 25.5 percent
46. Utah: 25.4 percent
47. California: 25 percent
48. Hawaii: 23.8 percent
49. Massachusetts: 23.6 percent
50. District of Columbia: 22.6 percent
51. Colorado: 22.3 percent
Original article on Live Science.
Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.
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