The fattest states in America have been revealed for 2017 with Mississippi leading the way for the second year in a row.
WalletHub ranked the states using 19 different metrics, including three key components, obesity and overweight prevalence, health consequences, and food and fitness.
Among the highest-ranked states based on this criteria are Mississippi, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana.
The bottom five marking the the healthiest-ranked states include Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Hawaii and Montana.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than seven in 10 US adults 20 and older are either overweight or obese.
The report breaks down which states have the most obese children, the highest percent of physically inactive adults, and the highest percent of adults with type 2 diabetes.
Rates are lower for children and adolescents but have risen steadily almost every year.
The highest percentage of overweight children can be found in North Dakota, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, and South Dakota.
While the highest percentage of obese children are found in Mississippi, Texas, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Rhode Island.
Nevada is the state with the highest percentage of overweight adults, followed by Alaska and New Jersey tied for second and Montana and Florida.
The report revealed the highest amount of obese adults are found in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas, which has become a trend due to disparities in healthcare in the Appalachian region.
It is no surprise that the states dubbed the ‘fattest’ or with the highest obesity rate were ranked near the bottom of WalletHub’s report of the states with the best healthcare released in August.
More than 81 million Americans aged six years and older, were completely inactive in 2016, according to a report from the Physical Activity Council.
Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of obesity, in addition to genetics, emotional instability and lack of sleep.
And as America’s obesity problem grows, the weight-loss industry continues to expand.
The report revealed that Americans are expected to spend more than $68 billion on weight loss programs this year, though the US spends nearly $200 billion in annual health care costs related to obesity.