The Results Are in for the Most Obese State in America

Find out how your neck of the woods stacks up.

Most people get psyched when they earn a distinction two years in a row, but we’re guessing Mississippi residents aren’t thrilled with this one: According to findings from a new Gallup poll, the state has the highest obesity rate in the nation for the second year running. The poll found that more than 35 percent of Mississippi residents are obese, trumping runner-up West Virginia by nearly a whole percentage point.

Mississippi’s rate is well above the national average, which is nearly 28 percent, up from 27 percent in 2013.

Here’s a list of the states with the highest obesity rates:

Mississippi (35.2{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
West Virginia (34.3{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Louisiana (33.2{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Arkansas (33{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Oklahoma (32.6{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Alabama (32.1{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Kentucky (31.5{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Indiana (31.4{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Iowa (31.1{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Missouri (30.9{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})

But the poll didn’t have all bad news. It also called out the states with the lowest obesity rates. Hawaii, which has the lowest obesity rate, was the only state where fewer than one in five residents are obese.

Here’s a list of the least obese states:

Hawaii (19{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Colorado (20.3{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Montana (23.5{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
California (23.9{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Massachusetts (24{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Idaho (24.2{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
South Dakota (24.6{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
New York (24.7{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Minnesota (24.8{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})
Connecticut (24.9{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d})

Obesity rates have continuously been highest in Southern and Midwestern states and lowest in Western and Northwestern states, per Gallup.

Why is this news so troubling? Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, among other serious health issues.

While obesity isn’t an easy health issue to solve, there are some things people can do, per The National Institutes of Health: Take care of yourself, eat well, watch portion sizes, reduce your screen time, and exercise frequently.

Your health depends on it.