Overview of America’s fattest states

For many years, companies and industry organizations involved in fresh produce have been working hard promoting the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables and the importance of fresh produce as part of a healthy diet. 

With traditionally hearty-eating holidays approaching, November being National Diabetes Awareness Month and more than two thirds of American adults being either obese or overweight today, the personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of where the US stands. Results can be found in the report 2015’s Fattest States in America. 

The report shows that today, more than three quarters of American adults are either overweight or obese. For the first time in history, the number of obese people has surpassed that of the overweight. According to the Campaign to End Obesity, Americans spend nearly $200 billion annually on health-related costs due to obesity. To shed more light on the issue and find solutions that consumers and local governments can follow, Wallethub consulted a panel of experts in various fields such as health and labor economics. 

One of the experts, Pouran D Faghri, Professor of Health Promotion Sciences, shares that eating healthy means more fruits, vegetables and less fat and simple carbs. “That could be expensive. I usually recommend buying in-season fruits and vegetables and consider local farmers markets. Many vegetables can be frozen and still keep their nutritional values for a good amount of time in the freezer. Also canned fruits and vegetables have good nutritional values and they have a long shelf life." 

"However, the most cost effective way to eat healthy is to not be a compulsive buyer," Fagri said. "Do not go shopping hungry or stressed. Generate a list of what you need to buy and stick with it." 

The table below provides an overview of states with the biggest weight problems versus states with the smallest weight problems. 

Click this link to read the full report.