How Fat is Massachusetts?

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Wednesday, November 07, 2018

GoLocalWorcester News Team

How fat is Massachusetts?

According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Massachusetts is one of the slimmest states in the country, ranking 48th on the site's "Fattest States" ranking.

“According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 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 drastically in the past few decades. So prevalent has America’s obesity problem grown that the weight-loss industry continues to expand. In 2017, the U.S. weight loss and diet control market was valued at $66 billion. The U.S. spends in total nearly $200 billion in annual health care costs related to obesity,” said WalletHub. 

The Rankings 

Massachusetts is ranked 48th just ahead of Hawaii and Utah, who rank 49th and 50th overall.

MA is ranked behind California and the District of Columbia, who rank 46th and 47th.

Colorado is ranked as the slimmest state in the country.

See the Rankings in the Map Below

Methodology

In order to determine the fattest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Health Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness.

They evaluated those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the fattest state. 

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence – Total Points: 60

• Share of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Share of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Share of Overweight Teenagers: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Share of Obese Teenagers: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Share of Overweight Children: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Share of Obese Children: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Projected Obesity Rate in 2030: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

 

Health Consequences – Total Points: 25

• Share of Adults with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Share of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Projected Diabetes Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Share of Adults with Hypertension: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Heart Disease Rate: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Projected Coronary Heart Disease & Stroke Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Obesity-Related Death Rate: Double Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Obesity-Related Health Care Costs: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Projected Obesity-Related Care Cost Increase by 2030: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
• Expanded Health Insurance Coverage for Nutritional Counseling: Half Weight (~1.19 Points)

 

Food & Fitness – Total Points: 15

• Share of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Healthy-Food Access: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Fast-Food Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Presence of Middle and High Schools Offering Salad Bars: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
• Share of Physically Inactive Adults: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Share of Physically Inactive Children and Teenagers Aged 6-17 Years: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Related Articles

• New CDC Report—How Obese Is MA?
• How Obese Is Worcester?
• The Most and Least Obese Cities in New England: See Where Worcester Ranks
• MA Ranked as One of Least Obese States in U.S.

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