DALLAS (KDAF) — A new WalletHub study has ranked McAllen, Texas, as the most overweight and obese city in the nation.
According to their study, more than 40% of American adults are obese. Those extra pounds have inflated the costs of obesity-related medical treatment to about $190 billion a year and annual productivity losses due to work absenteeism to around $4.3 billion.
Where does the DFW Metroplex sit in this ranking? Dallas-Fort Worth is ranked 27th in the nation.
The top 10 most obese and overweight cities are:
- McAllen, TX
- Memphis, TN
- Knoxville, TN
- Mobile, AL
- Jackson, MS
- Birmingham, AL
- Little Rock, AR
- Shreveport, LA
- Augusta, GA
- Baton Rouge, LA
Key statistics regarding from the study are as follows:
- The McAllen, Texas, metro area has the highest share of obese adults, 44.90 percent, which is 2.4 times higher than in Asheville, North Carolina, the metro area with the lowest at 18.50 percent.
- The McAllen, Texas, metro area has the highest share of physically inactive adults, 36.90 percent, which is 2.7 times higher than in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the metro area with the lowest at 13.90 percent.
- The El Paso, Texas, metro area has the highest share of diabetic adults, 16.00 percent, which is 2.6 times higher than in Reno, Nevada, the metro area with the lowest at 6.20 percent.
- The Jackson, Mississippi, metro area has the highest share of adults with high blood pressure, 40.60 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than in San Jose, California, the metro area with the lowest at 22.80 percent.
To identify the most obese and overweight cities in the nation, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated U.S. metro areas across 19 key indicators of weight-related problems. Our data set ranges from the share of physically inactive adults to projected obesity rates by 2030 to healthy-food access.
