Americans are the most overweight people in the world. According to statistics, we are having our cake and eating it too! Sadly, nearly half of Americans are obese, which isn’t shocking considering the availability of fast foods and processed foods. For instance, it is cheaper to purchase a meal through the McDonald’s Dollar Menu than salad fixings.
Unfortunately, Americans’ unhealthy lifestyles have raised the costs of obesity-related medical treatment to approximately $190.2 billion a year and annual productivity losses due to work absenteeism to around $4.3 billion. Being obese is dangerous for an individual because it can lead to multiple health complications, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Per the CDC, obesity can increase the risk of severe symptoms and increase the risk for hospitalization.
We have compiled a list of the top twenty overweight and obese cities in the U.S. for 2022. Now, some cities are more responsible for breaking the scale than others. Therefore, a list like this is essential to help cities identify the problem and implement effective action plans. WalletHub used 19 key metrics across 100 of the most populated cities. And you will not believe which cities are at the top of the list.
Top 20 Overweight and Obese Cities in the U.S.
| Overall Rank | Metro Area | Total Score | Obesity & Overweight | Health Consequences | Food & Fitness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 84.78 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 2 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 83.94 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Knoxville, TN | 83.92 | 4 | 1 | 20 |
| 4 | Mobile, AL | 83.04 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 | Jackson, MS | 82.94 | 1 | 17 | 9 |
| 6 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 82.91 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
| 7 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 82.82 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| 8 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 82.76 | 10 | 4 | 12 |
| 9 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 82.42 | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge, LA | 81.91 | 13 | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | 80.50 | 11 | 23 | 15 |
| 12 | Lafayette, LA | 80.28 | 12 | 21 | 16 |
| 13 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 78.39 | 32 | 7 | 30 |
| 14 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 78.24 | 14 | 32 | 25 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | 78.24 | 15 | 94 | 23 |
| 16 | Winston-Salem, NC | 78.06 | 52 | 11 | 2 |
| 17 | Wichita, KS | 77.95 | 40 | 18 | 3 |
| 18 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 77.65 | 7 | 32 | 39 |
| 19 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 77.54 | 24 | 14 | 34 |
| 20 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 77.29 | 20 | 36 | 27 |
Scary Facts
These results are chilling! Based on this chart, did you know that McAllen, Texas, has 2.4 times higher than Asheville, North Carolina? Or that McAllen, Texas, has the highest share of physically inactive adults? Additionally, this isn’t a personal attack on the number one city, but it should be our mission to bring the cities we live in back to a healthy number. Simple steps such as adding 15 to 30 minutes of exercise and changing eating habits can help reduce these rates significantly. More and more, we see brands partner up with others to assist in the fight against obesity.
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