The obesity epidemic in the U.S. is a major health issue, and it’s getting worse. The current national adult obesity rate is 29.7%, but almost half of adults are projected to be obese, not just overweight, by 2030, according to Harvard researchers estimates published in December 2019 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
While the country as a whole is facing an obesity crisis, the problem is much more pronounced in some states.
Maryland is the state with the 24th highest adult obesity rate in the U.S. About 31.6% of adult residents report a body mass index of 30 or greater. High obesity rates can detrimentally affect health.
About 15.2% of adults in Maryland report being in poor or fair health, the 16th lowest share in the U.S. Nationwide, 17.0% of adults report subpar health.
Obesity is a leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, and 11.1% of Maryland residents over the age of 20 have diabetes, the 16th highest share of all states. The diabetes prevalence across the country among the same age group is 10.5%
There is a multitude of social and economic factors that predispose certain populations to higher obesity rates. People with lower incomes are less able to afford proper medical care and healthy lifestyles, which include eating a healthy diet and having easy access to gyms and other options for physical activity.
The median household income in Maryland is $86,738 a year, the highest in the U.S. and $21,026 more than the median across the country of $65,712 a year.
Insufficient sleep, defined as sleeping less than seven hours per night on average, has been shown to be a contributing factor to obesity. Sleep deprivation interferes with the two hormones that control appetite. Lack of sleep can lead to increased levels of ghrelin (increased appetite) and decreased levels of leptin (diminished feeling of fullness), possibly leading to weight gain.
About 37.7% of adults in Maryland report not getting enough sleep, the 16th highest share in the U.S. and compared to 35.2% of U.S. adults.
Health experts have pointed to several lifestyle factors that are likely contributing to the excess weight problem among Americans, including a sedentary lifestyle. The physical inactivity rate in Maryland is 21.9%, the 20th lowest in the U.S. Nationwide, 22.7% of adults don’t exercise on a regular basis.
To identify the most obese states, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed health data from the 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. These are the most obese states in America
State Adult obesity rate Pop. Over 20 with diabetes Adults in poor or fair health Adults who don’t exercise regularly Median household income a year Mississippi 39.1% 14.6% 22.1% 30.4% 45,792 West Virginia 37.8% 15.1% 23.6% 28.0% 48,850 Louisiana 36.3% 13.0% 21.4% 28.0% 51,073 Alabama 36.1% 14.5% 21.4% 29.3% 51,734 Arkansas 35.0% 13.5% 23.3% 30.4% 48,952 Kentucky 34.6% 12.7% 21.8% 28.7% 52,295 Oklahoma 34.5% 12.3% 20.9% 27.8% 54,449 Iowa 34.3% 9.9% 13.5% 22.6% 61,691 South Carolina 34.0% 13.3% 17.8% 26.0% 56,227 Indiana 33.9% 12.1% 18.2% 26.7% 57,603 North Dakota 33.9% 9.4% 13.6% 23.1% 64,577 Ohio 33.5% 12.2% 17.8% 26.1% 58,642 Nebraska 33.4% 10.0% 13.8% 22.7% 63,229 Tennessee 33.3% 12.5% 21.2% 27.2% 56,071 Kansas 33.0% 10.5% 16.3% 23.9% 62,087 Missouri 32.5% 11.4% 19.5% 25.5% 57,409 Michigan 32.4% 11.0% 18.3% 23.1% 59,584 Delaware 32.4% 11.8% 16.3% 27.3% 70,176 South Dakota 32.4% 10.1% 13.4% 22.0% 59,533 North Carolina 32.3% 11.5% 18.0% 23.3% 57,341 Georgia 32.3% 12.0% 18.4% 26.4% 61,980 Alaska 31.9% 8.3% 15.6% 19.3% 75,463 Wisconsin 31.7% 9.5% 14.8% 20.3% 64,168 Maryland 31.6% 11.1% 15.2% 21.9% 86,738 Texas 31.4% 10.2% 18.7% 23.2% 64,034 Pennsylvania 30.8% 11.0% 17.6% 22.0% 63,463 Virginia 30.5% 10.7% 16.6% 22.2% 76,456 Maine 29.8% 10.4% 17.1% 20.8% 58,924 Illinois 29.7% 9.9% 15.9% 21.6% 69,187 Oregon 29.3% 9.7% 18.2% 17.3% 67,058 Wyoming 29.2% 9.0% 15.3% 23.1% 65,003 Idaho 29.0% 9.3% 15.1% 20.4% 60,999 Minnesota 29.0% 8.5% 12.9% 19.6% 74,593 Washington 28.6% 9.3% 15.0% 16.4% 78,687 New Hampshire 28.6% 9.6% 12.8% 20.8% 77,933 Rhode Island 28.5% 10.1% 16.5% 23.5% 71,169 Arizona 27.9% 9.6% 18.6% 21.2% 62,055 New Mexico 27.3% 9.5% 20.3% 19.0% 51,945 Florida 27.2% 10.8% 19.5% 25.8% 59,227 Montana 27.1% 8.9% 14.1% 21.7% 57,153 Nevada 27.1% 10.5% 19.1% 22.5% 63,276 Vermont 27.0% 8.8% 12.8% 18.4% 63,001 Utah 27.0% 7.5% 14.8% 16.7% 75,780 New Jersey 27.0% 9.9% 15.5% 26.6% 85,751 New York 26.4% 10.1% 16.3% 23.4% 72,108 Connecticut 26.3% 9.2% 13.0% 19.9% 78,833 Massachusetts 25.0% 8.7% 13.5% 20.0% 85,843 Hawaii 24.6% 11.1% 15.4% 19.6% 83,102 California 24.3% 8.8% 17.6% 17.7% 80,440 Colorado 22.4% 6.6% 13.8% 14.8% 77,127