According to personal finance Web site WalletHub’s new report, 2017’s Fattest States in America, Mississippi tops the list as the fattest state in the United States. It’s followed closely by West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana.
The bottom five states? Montana, Hawaii, Utah, Massachusetts and Colorado.
Not enough produce
While the study comes away with a number of findings including the state with the highest percentage of overweight adults (Nevada), the one with the highest percentage of overweight children (North Dakota) and which one has the highest percentage of adults with high cholesterol (Alabama), the study also noted the top states consuming less than one serving of fruit/vegetables per day. The top five states with the highest percentage of adults eating less than one serving of fruit/vegetable a day are Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia and Alabama. The lowest percentage of adults eating less than one serving fruits/vegetables per day are Colorado, Oregon, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Eating a healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh produce is of course key in diabetes prevention and the report also goes on to note that 9.4 per cent of Americans have Diabetes and 1.5 million Americans will be diagnosed with it every year.
More vegetables/fruits needed
“An overweight person is much more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes, and as shown in our study, the states which ranked high—such as the ones with the biggest obesity problems--also had the highest percentages of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day,” says Jill Gonzalez, an analyst with WalletHub. “The states ranking low on the obesity scale had the lowest percentages for the same metric.”
Those who have developed Type 2 diabetes move into disease management which relies on strategies such as physical activity and a diet rich with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber and nutrient-dense foods. “Maintaining a balanced, healthy diet rich in fresh produce in general is a good way to help offset diabetes,” adds Gonzalez.
For more information:
www.wallethub.com