Map shows most overweight cities in America

A recent report from personal-finance website WalletHub has ranked the most obese cities in the U.S.

Why It Matters

As noted by WalletHub, almost 42 percent of Americans are classified as obese. “Unfortunately, the extra pounds have inflated the costs of obesity-related medical treatment to approximately $190.2 billion a year and annual productivity losses due to work absenteeism to around $4.3 billion,” the report said.

What To Know

WalletHub said Little Rock, Arkansas, ranks as the most overweight U.S. city, with particularly high rates among young people. Nearly 23 percent of children ages 10 to 17 are obese, with an additional 18 percent classified as overweight, it said, adding that the city’s weight issues are reflected in adult health outcomes, including the fourth‑highest rate of high blood pressure and the fifth‑highest rate of heart disease.

WalletHub attributed the trend in part to a low number of health educators per capita and limited access to healthy food options, noting that Little Rock is projected to have the second‑highest obesity rate in the country by 2050.

McAllen, Texas ranked second overall, driven by the largest percentage of obese adults at 45 percent and an additional 31 percent overweight but not obese; WalletHub noted McAllen has the second-highest share of obese teenagers, the seventh-highest diabetes share, the fourth-highest heart-disease rate, the highest share of physically inactive adults, and the second-lowest share of residents living near parks or recreational facilities.

Memphis placed third overall, with high obesity rates among children, teenagers and adults, including about 36 percent of adults obese; the metro had the fourth-highest share of adults who had a stroke, the third-highest high blood pressure rate at 40 percent, the 16th-highest share of physically inactive adults, and notable barriers to healthy food access, according to WalletHub’s profile.

Rounding out the top ten were Jackson, Mississippi; Augusta, Georgia; Lafayette, Louisiana; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

How It Was Calculated

WalletHub said it ranked the “fattest” U.S. cities by comparing 100 of the nation’s largest metro areas across three broad categories: obesity and overweight, health consequences, and food and fitness. The analysis relied on 19 weighted metrics, each scored on a 100‑point scale, with some data available only at the state level. Those scores were combined into a weighted average for each metro area, which WalletHub used to calculate overall scores and determine the final rankings.

What People Are Saying

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report: “Obesity is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., and it’s costing us big time. In the most overweight and obese cities, residents often lack easy access to healthy food and recreation opportunities, so investing in those areas should help improve people’s diets and exercise regimens, and reduce the financial burden overall.”