MA Ranked as One of Least Obese States in U.S.
Thursday, November 03, 2016
"New statistics published by the Physical Activity Council suggest a need for more aggressive efforts to combat the issue. In 2015, about 81.6 million Americans were completely inactive. In addition to factors such as genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness, lack of physical activity is one of the leading causes of obesity," said WalletHub.
Massachusetts is ranked 48th in obesity and overweight prevalence, 50th in unhealthy habits and consequences, and 50th in food and fitness rank.
The Rankings
Massachusetts is ranked 48th behind Connecticut and Hawaii at 46 and 47, while ranking in front of New Jersey and Colorado.
Mississippi is ranked as the fattest state, while Utah is ranked as the least obese state.
See the Rankings in the Map Below.
The Method
In order to determine the fattest states in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Unhealthy Habits & Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness.
They evaluated those dimensions using 17 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most unhealthy conditions.
Lastly, they calculated overall scores for each state based on the weighted average across all metrics and used the results to construct our ranking.
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence – Total Points: 70
- Percentage of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Percentage of Overweight Teenagers: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Teenagers: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Percentage of Overweight Children: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Children: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Projected Obesity Rate in 2030: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences: 25
- Percentage of Residents Who Are Physically Inactive: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with Diabetes: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with Hypertension: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Obesity-Related Death Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Food & Fitness: 5
- Healthy-Food Access (percentage of urban-area residents with low income and living more than 1 mi. from a grocery store or supermarket): Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Number of Fast-Food Restaurants per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Number of Fitness Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
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