Not all states are equal when it comes to obesity rates, according to a new Gallup-Healthways poll finding that Colorado has the fewest obese residents and West Virginia the most.
The results are based on interviews of 353,564 Americans, ages 18 and older, conducted Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2012 in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Participants reported their height and weight, from which the researchers calculated body mass index. For this survey, BMI scores of 30 or higher were considered obese.
Read more about results of the state obesity poll.
States listed by percentage of residents who are considered obese:
- Colorado: 18.7 percent
- Massachusetts: 21.5 percent
- Montana: 22.0
- Connecticut: 22.7 percent
- California: 23.1 percent
- Utah: 23.9 percent
- Arizona: 24.1
- Rhode Island: 24.3 percent
- Idaho: 24.4
- New Jersey: 24.4 percent
- Washington: 24.4
- Nevada: 24.9 percent
- New Mexico: 24.6 percent
- Minnesota: 24.7 percent
- Wyoming: 24.7 percent
- New York: 24.9 percent
- Florida: 25.1 percent
- New Hampshire: 25.1 percent
- Oregon: 25.4 percent
- Hawaii: 25.7 percent
- Vermont: 25.7 percent
- Illinois: 26.0 percent
- Virginia: 26.2 percent
- Delaware: 26.3 percent
- Kansas: 26.3 percent
- South Dakota: 26.3 percent
- Alaska: 26.4 percent
- Maryland: 27.0 percent
- Wisconsin: 27.1 percent
- Missouri: 27.2 percent
- Maine: 27.5 percent
- North Dakota: 27.8 percent
- Nebraska: 27.9 percent
- Pennsylvania: 27.9 percent
- South Carolina: 27.9 percent
- Michigan: 28.5 percent
- Georgia: 28.6 percent
- Indiana: 28.8 percent
- North Carolina: 28.9 percent
- Texas: 28.9 percent
- Iowa: 29.0 percent
- Oklahoma: 29.2 percent
- Ohio: 29.5 percent
- Tennessee: 29.6 percent
- Kentucky: 29.9 percent
- Alabama: 30.4 percent
- Louisiana: 30.9 percent
- Arkansas: 31.4 percent
- Mississippi: 32.2 percent
- West Virginia: 33.5 percent
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