The List: The Most Obese Cities

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A new Gallup-Healthways poll has found that at least 15 percent of residents in 187 of the 190 metro areas surveyed are obese.

The results come from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and are based on interviews with more than 350,000 American adults between Jan. 2 and Dec. 29, 2011. Participants reported their height and weight, which was used to calculate body mass index, or BMI, a measure of a person's fatness. BMI scores of 30 or greater are considered obese. (For example, a 5-foot-4-inch woman who weighs 174 pounds or more, or a 5-foot-10-inch man who weighs 209 pounds or more would have a BMI of 30.)

The metro areas are based on the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's metropolitan statistical areas, which in many cases include more than one city. For instance, the San Jose, Calif., statistical area also includes the smaller nearby cities of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara.

[Read full story on obesity in U.S. cities]

Here's a list of the metro areas surveyed and their obesity rates:

  • Boulder, Colo.: 12.1
  • Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.: 14.5
  • Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.: 14.6
  • Barnstable Town, Mass.: 15.9
  • Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, Calif.: 16.4
  • Naples-Marco Island, Fla.: 16.5
  • Trenton-Ewig, N.J.: 16.8
  • Provo-Orem, Utah: 17.1
  • Colorado Springs, Colo.: 17.4
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.: 17.5
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: 17.9
  • San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.: 18.1
  • Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.: 18.1
  • Denver-Aurora, Colo.: 19.0
  • San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.: 19.1
  • Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine: 19.2
  • Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Fla.: 19.2
  • Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.: 19.5
  • Reno-Sparks, Nev.: 19.9
  • Ann Arbor, Mich.: 20.0
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.: 20.3
  • Greeley, Colo.: 20.5
  • Spokane, Wash.: 20.7
  • Ogden-Clearfield, Utah: 20.8
  • Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H.: 21.0
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Calif.: 21.1
  • Albuquerque, N.M.: 21.2
  • Lincoln, Neb.: 21.3
  • Durham, N.C.: 21.3
  • Austin-Round Rock, Texas: 21.3
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.: 21.4
  • New York-North New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Penn.: 21.5
  • Madison, Wis.: 21.8
  • Honolulu: 21.9
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Va.-Md.-W.Va.: 22
  • Prescott, Ariz.: 22.1
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla.: 22.2
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn-Wis.: 22.4
  • Bremerton-Silverdale, Wash: 22.6
  • Providence-New Bedford-Fall River,  R.I., Mass.: 22.6
  • Asheville, N.C.: 22.7
  • Salt Lake City, Utah: 22.7
  • Billings, Mont.: 22.7
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.: 22.9
  • New Haven-Milford, Conn.: 22.9
  • Duluth, Minn.-Wisc.: 22.9
  • Bellingham, Wash.: 22.9
  • Burlington-South Burlington, Ver.: 22.9
  • Tuscon, Ariz.: 22.9
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.: 23
  • Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.: 23.1
  • Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.: 23.2
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.: 23.2
  • Chico, Calif.: 23.2
  • Clarksville, Tenn.-Ky.: 23.2
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.: 23.2
  • Birmingham-Hoover, Ala.: 23.3
  • Eugene-Springfield, Ore.: 23.3
  • Raleigh-Cary, N.C.: 23.3
  • Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.: 23.3
  • Olympia, Wash.: 23.4
  • Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, Calif.: 23.6
  • Fayetteville, N.C.: 23.9
  • Worcester, Mass.: 24.2
  • Utica-Rome, N.Y.: 24.3
  • Ocala, Fla.: 24.3
  • Charleston, North Carleston-Summerville, S.C.: 24.4
  • Norwich-New London, Conn.: 24.4
  • Manchester-Nashua, N.H.: 24.4
  • Jackson, Miss.: 24.5
  • Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla.: 24.6
  • Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich.: 24.6
  • Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash.: 24.6
  • Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Penn.-N.J.: 24.6
  • Rochester, N.Y.: 24.7
  • Tallahassee, Fla.: 24.8
  • Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.: 24.8
  • Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-Wisc.: 24.8
  • Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.: 24.9
  • Appleton, Wisc.: 24.9
  • Springfield, Mass.: 24.9
  • Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn.: 25
  • Stockton, Calif: 25
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Penn.-N.J.-Del.-Md.: 25
  • Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.: 25
  • Anchorage, Alaska: 25.1
  • Charlottesville, Va.: 25.1
  • Boise City-Nampa, Ida.: 25.1
  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.: 25.1
  • Green Bay, Wisc: 25.3
  • El Paso, Tex.: 25.4
  • Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn.: 25.5
  • Medford, Ore.: 25.6
  • Knoxville, Tenn: 25.7
  • Columbus, Ga.-Ala.: 25.8
  • Savannah, Ga.: 25.8
  • Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa: 25.9
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas: 25.9
  • Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas: 26.1
  • St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.: 26.2
  • Dayton, Ohio: 26.2
  • Jacksonville, Fla.: 26.3
  • South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind.-Mich.: 26.4
  • Springfield, Ill.: 26.4
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.: 26.4
  • Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisc.: 26.4
  • Port St. Luci, Fla.: 26.5
  • Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.-Mo.: 26.6
  • Oklahoma City, Okla.: 26.7
  • Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor-Ohio: 26.7
  • Erie, Penn.: 26.7
  • Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Fla.: 26.8
  • Springfield, Mo.: 26.8
  • Lancaster, Penn.: 26.8
  • Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.: 27.0
  • Evansville, Ind.-Ky.: 27.0
  • Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, S.C.: 27.0
  • Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.: 27.1
  • Salem, Ore.: 27.2
  • Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.: 27.2
  • Tulsa, Okla.: 27.3
  • Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, S.C.: 27.4
  • Chattanooga, Tenn.-Ga.: 27.4
  • Baltimore-Towson, Md.: 27.4
  • Wilmington, N.C.: 27.4
  • Pittsburgh, Penn.: 27.5
  • Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill.: 27.5
  • Shreveport-Bossier City, La.: 27.5
  • Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.: 27.5
  • Scranton—Wilkes-Barre, Penn.: 27.6
  • Lexington-Fayette, Ky.: 27.7
  • Modesto, Calif.: 27.7
  • Salinas, Calif.: 27.8
  • Lafayette, La.: 27.8
  • Akron, Ohio: 27.9
  • Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middleton, N.Y.: 28.1
  • Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.: 28.3
  • New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.: 28.3
  • Louisville-Jefferson County, Ky.-Ind.: 28.4
  • Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C.: 28.5
  • Columbus, Ohio: 28.5
  • Winston-Salem, N.C.: 28.6
  • Baton Rouge, La.: 28.6
  • Columbia, S.C.: 28.6
  • Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla.: 28.8
  • Peoria, Ill.: 28.9
  • Greensboro-High Point, N.C.: 28.9
  • Lynchburg, Va.: 29.0
  • Redding, Calif.: 29.0
  • San Antonio, Texas: 29.1
  • Toledo, Ohio: 29.3
  • Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa: 29.3
  • York-Hanover, Penn.: 29.4
  • Richmond, Va.: 29.4
  • Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark.: 29.7
  • Canton-Massillon, Ohio: 29.7
  • Lubbock, Texas: 29.8
  • Cedar Rapids, Iowa: 29.9
  • Little Rock-N Little Rock-Conway, Ark.: 29.9
  • Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.: 30.0
  • Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Texas: 30.0
  • Corpus Christi, Texas: 30.2
  • Mobile, Ala.: 30.2
  • Bakersfield, Calif.: 30.3
  • Fort Wayne, Ind.: 30.3
  • Augusta-Richmond County, Ga.-S.C.: 30.3
  • Fresno, Calif.: 30.4
  • Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Md.-W. Va.: 30.4
  • Syracuse, N.Y.: 30.7
  • Harrisburg-Carlisle, Penn.: 30.8
  • Montgomery, Ala.: 30.9
  • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.: 31.2
  • Wichita, Kan.: 31.2
  • Kalamazoo-Portage, Mich.: 31.3
  • Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Penn.: 31.5
  • Visalia-Porterville, Calif.: 31.9
  • Flint, Mich.: 32.3
  • Roanoke, Va.: 32.3
  • Huntsville, Ala.: 32.3
  • Yakima, Wash.: 32.4
  • Reading, Penn.: 32.7
  • Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Wash.: 33.2
  • Topeka, Kans.: 33.3
  • Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.: 33.5
  • Charleston, W. Va.: 33.8
  • Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas: 33.8
  • Rockford, Ill.: 35.5
  • Huntington-Ashland, W. Va., Ky., Ohio: 36.0
  • Binghamton, N.Y.: 37.6
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: 38.8 percent

Related Infographics:

* Nearly 1 in 5 Kids Is Obese

* Diabetes & Obesity in America

Jeanna Bryner
Managing editor, Scientific American

Jeanna Bryner is managing editor of Scientific American. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.