Huntington-Ashland-Ironton, a metropolitan area that encompasses parts of three different U.S. states, is the most obese community in America, according to a new Gallup study.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Boulder, Colo., has been named the nation’s slimmest community for the fifth time in six years.
Huntington-Ashland-Ironton encompasses parts of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, an incredible 39.5 per cent of the adult population living in this area can be considered obese.
In Boulder, meanwhile, only 12.4 per cent of the population can be considered overweight. Also looking trim these days: Naples-Marco Island, Florida, and Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado. In fact, among the nation’s top 10 slimmest cities, three are in Colorado as Denver and Fort Collins also made the list.
Conversely, two other cities in West Virginia join Huntington on the Top 10 fattest cities, including Charleston and Martinsburg.
As you might expect, America more resembles Huntington-Ashland-Ironton rather than healthy Boulder. Gallup says that the United States’ national obesity rate is now above 27 per cent, the highest rate recorded by Gallup since it began tracking obesity back in 2008. Only one of the 189 metropolitan areas studied had an obesity rate below 15 per cent.
The research work — a joint venture between Gallup and Healthways — offered a pessimistic observation about the effect of obesity and the likely near-term future:
It’s a concerning trend that could have enormous consequences, Gallup says. “Rising obesity rates have significant health consequences for both individuals and communities of all sizes,” noted Gallup Healthways Lifestyle Solutions director, Janna Lacatell. “In order to combat the trend and encourage individuals to make healthier choices, community-based policy and environmental approaches can, and should, be used.”
According to new research from Gallup, which made the measurements:
Adult obesity rates are above 15 percent in all but one of the 189 metro areas that Gallup and Healthways surveyed in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 program had a goal of reducing obesity to 15 percent in each state. No state and only one U.S. metro area has achieved this goal.
Here is the list of the fittest and fattest states in the Union:
