Utah low on ‘fattest cities’ list as America’s severe obesity numbers get weighty

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SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A new report from from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 40% of Americans were considered obese in 2023 - a statistic that has held fairly steady in recent years.

What's specifically concerning, though is that of those considered obese, 10% fall into the "severe" category.

Those respective 40% and 10%, though, aren't evenly distributed, geographically or otherwise.

For example, the CDC reported that about 27% of Americans last year who had with college degrees were obese, a number that grows as education levels drop.

According to the report:

By education level and age36.5% of adults without a high school diploma or equivalent had obesity.34.7% of adults with a high school diploma or equivalent had obesity.35.7% of adults with some college education had obesity.27.1% of college graduates had obesity. And while every single state posted obesity levels higher than 20% in a CDC report that mapped 2023's prevalence of obesity in America, the South and Midwest were the country's hotspots.

According to that report, Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia all had obesity rates over 40%.

Utah's prevalence is just over 30%.

Personal finance website WalletHub earlier this year conducted a study that broke down the issue beyond the state level.

It comparing the 100 most populated areas in the nation according to the number of obese and overweight residents, the area's health consequences, and the state of fitness and nutrition for the cities in those regions.

Its findings revealed stark regional differences in obesity rates across the United States, with Utah's metropolitan areas ranking among the healthiest, while cities in Southern states dominated the top of the list.

The analysis placed Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden near the bottom of the list, indicating lower rates of obesity and related health issues.

Provo, Utah, stood out as a beacon of health, ranking last in the share of physically inactive adults.It also clocked in as second-to-last in number of adults with high blood pressure, surpassed only by San Jose, California.

According to the research, Provo residents were twice as likely to be physically active compared to those in McAllen, Texas, which topped the list of "Fattest Cities in the U.S."

RELATED REPORTS: Utah Ranked - Bests and Worsts Salt Lake City and Ogden also performed well, ranking 92nd and 86th respectively in the overall "fattest cities" list.

In contrast, the study found that the most overweight cities were predominantly located in the American South.

Following McAllen, Texas perch atop the list, Jackson, Mississippi; and Shreveport, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; Knoxville, Tennessee;, Memphis Tennessee; Lafayette, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Chattanooga, Tennessee make up the Top 10. These cities face significant health challenges, with high rates of obesity, physical inactivity, and related health issues such as diabetes and hypertension, the research states.

The list stays exclusively in the South until cities 18 - 20, with the Midwest's Canton, Ohio: Wichita, Kansas; and Youngstown, Ohio before it begins alternating between the two American regions. The first Western city makes an appearance at No. 35 with California's Riverside.

The first Northeast city represented is Scranton, Pennsylvania, ranked at No. 44.

At the bottom of the list are cities mostly in the Western region, with Provo and Salt Lake City followed by Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Jose, California; Denver, Colorado; Boston, Massachusetts; Honolulu, Hawaii, and, the least obese city on the list, Seattle, Washington.

The study's analysis included statistics on cities' overweight and obese adults, teenagers, and children, projected obesity rates for 2030, and various health indicators such as diabetes rates and heart disease prevalence.

The methodology also considered lifestyle factors like fruit and vegetable consumption, access to healthy food, and the availability of parks and recreational facilities. Data for the study was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Gallup-Sharecare, and Trust for America's Health.

FULL LIST: Most obese cities in America in 2024, ranked from "fattest" to "thinnest" McAllen, Texas Jackson, MississippiShreveport, LouisianaMobile, AlabamaLittle Rock, ArkansasKnoxville, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeLafayette, LouisianaBaton Rouge, LouisianaChattanooga, TennesseeBirmingham, AlabamaColumbia, South CarolinaOklahoma City, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaFayetteville, ArkansasAugusta, GeorgiaNew Orleans, LouisianaCanton, OhioWichita, KansasYoungstown, OhioSan Antonio, TexasWinston, North CarolinaFort Wayne, IndianaGreenville, South CarolinaDallas, TexasMyrtle Beach, South CarolinaEl Paso, TexasLouisville, KentuckyCharleston, South CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaHuntsville, AlabamaAkron, OhioToledo, OhioDetroit, MichiganRiverside, CaliforniaAlbuquerque, New MexicoLexington-Fayette, KentuckyNashville, TennesseeDayton, OhioColumbus, OhioGrand Rapids, MichiganCincinnati, OhioIndianapolis, IndianaScranton, PennsylvaniaRichmond, VirginiaCleveland, OhioProvidence, Rhode IslandKansas City, MissouriHouston, TexasCharlotte, North CarolinaVirginia Beach, VirginiaPhoenix, ArizonaReno, NevadaOmaha, NebraskaDes Moines, IowaHartford, ConnecticutLas Vegas, NevadaRaleigh, North CarolinaMilwaukee, WisconsinDurham, North CarolinaAtlanta, GeorgiaAllentown, PennsylvaniaBaltimore, MarylandAsheville, North CarolinaAnchorage, AlaskaAustin, TexasPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaNew Haven, ConnecticutSt. Louis, MissouriSpokane, WashingtonOrlando, FloridaTucson, ArizonaSpringfield, MassachusettsLos Angeles, CaliforniaPortland, MaineTampa, FloridaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaManchester, New HampshireSan Diego, CaliforniaBridgeport, ConnecticutJacksonville, FloridaWashington, District of ColumbiaMiami, FloridaChicago, IllinoisOgden, UtahWorcester, MassachusettsSacramento, CaliforniaNew York, New YorkBoise, IdahoProvo, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahPortland, OregonSan Francisco, CaliforniaColorado Springs, ColoradoMinneapolis, MinnesotaSan Jose, CaliforniaDenver, ColoradoBoston, MassachusettsHonolulu, HawaiiSeattle, Washington _______

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