Trim the Fat
New report reveals everything is bigger in Texas — especially our waistlines
Texas is pretty large — and we're not talking about square footage here. A new report from WalletHub ranks Texas the 11th fattest state in the country.
To determine which states need to trim the fat, the financial website analyzed data from medical reports and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, narrowing down to 12 specific metrics.
WalletHub first looked at the prevalence of obesity among residents: Texas ranks No. 15.
Nearly one-third (30.9 percent) of adult Texans are obese, meaning they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Another third (35.3 percent) of Texans are overweight (a BMI between 24 and 29), with the Lone Star State ranking at No. 28. Even more alarming is that a whopping 19.1 percent of Texas youngsters are obese, while 17.5 percent are overweight.
WalletHub also ranked states by residents' unhealthy habits. The Lone Star State has the 10th highest percentage of residents who are physically inactive and ranks No. 19 for highest percentage of adults who eat less than one serving of fruits and veggies per day.
These poor habits have serious physical consequences on Texan bodies. A staggering amount of residents have obesity-related diseases, including 73.2 percent with hypertension, 67 percent with high cholesterol, and 11 percent with diabetes.
The southernmost area of the U.S. dominates the list of fattest states, with Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia taking the top three spots. In contrast, Hawaii, Colorado, and New Jersey are the healthiest. To see how the rest of the states stack up, visit WalletHub.
