This Is the Most Obese State in the Country

One in five children and one in three adults in the United States are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency defines adult obesity as a person with a body mass index (BMI)—a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters—of 30 or higher. The condition puts you at a greater risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and death from all causes, including the biggest health issue in the country right now, coronavirus.

And while the last several months spent in quarantine have helped slow the spread of COVID-19, they've also heightened the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and abroad. In fact, a team of Danish researchers at the University of Copenhagen recently published a letter in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology warning the public about the negative effects of quarantine on obesity. So, we can only imagine the obesity rates are going to continue to climb once 2020 data is collected.

That being said, according to the CDC's most recent data collected between 2017 and 2019, some states seem to have more of an issue with obesity than others. With the exclusion of New Jersey, which had insufficient data, and the inclusion of Washington, D.C., here's how each state ranks, based on its percent of obese residents. And for more regional health statistics, This Is the Most Out-Of-Shape City in the U.S.

Adults with obesity: 23.8 percent

And for the places you may not be quite as safe as you'd like to be, check out This Is the Most Dangerous State in the U.S.

Adults with obesity: 23.8 percent

And for the places in the U.S. to mind your surroundings, check out The 100 Most Dangerous Cities in America.

Adults with obesity: 25.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 25.2 percent

And for more on the cost of certain states, check out This Is the State Where Your Money Is Worth the Least.

Adults with obesity: 26.2 percent

Adults with obesity: 26.6 percent

And for more on how your state stacks up in terms of residents' well-being, check out Every U.S. State Ranked From Healthiest to Unhealthiest.

Adults with obesity: 27.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 27.1 percent

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Adults with obesity: 28.3 percent

Adults with obesity: 28.3 percent

Adults with obesity: 29.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 29.1 percent

Adults with obesity: 29.2 percent

Adults with obesity: 29.5 percent

Adults with obesity: 29.7 percent

Adults with obesity: 30.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 30.1 percent

Adults with obesity: 30.5 percent

Adults with obesity: 30.6 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.4 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.6 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.7 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.7 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.8 percent

Adults with obesity: 31.9 percent

Adults with obesity: 32.3 percent

Adults with obesity: 33.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 33.1 percent

Adults with obesity: 33.2 percent

Adults with obesity: 33.9 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.1 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.2 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.4 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.8 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.8 percent

Adults with obesity: 34.8 percent

Adults with obesity: 35.2 percent

Adults with obesity: 35.3 percent

Adults with obesity: 35.4 percent

Adults with obesity: 35.9 percentae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

Adults with obesity: 36.0 percent

Adults with obesity: 36.1 percent

Adults with obesity: 36.5 percent

Adults with obesity: 36.5 percent

Adults with obesity: 36.8 percent

Adults with obesity: 37.4 percent

Adults with obesity: 39.7 percent

Adults with obesity: 40.8 percent