Two Tennessee Cities Rank Among Most Obese in the U.S.

We all know the jokes and stereotypes about Americans being unhealthy, but there’s actually some real data behind them. According to a new report from WalletHub, nearly 42% of adults in the U.S. are considered obese. That’s a pretty eye-opening number, and it’s exactly why WalletHub takes a closer look each year at which cities are most impacted.

Their latest report ranks the 100 largest metro areas across the country, looking at three key areas: how many people are overweight or obese, the health conditions tied to that (like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes), and lifestyle factors like access to healthy food and opportunities to stay active.

Tennessee Cities Rank Near the Top

The results aren’t exactly something to celebrate for Tennessee, which once again finds itself near the top of the list. In fact, two Tennessee cities landed in the top 15 this year. Memphis comes in at #3, and Knoxville isn’t far behind at #12.

ALSO READ: Study Ranks Tennessee Among Most Sinful States in America

Health Challenges Facing Memphis

But before we get too discouraged, there is a silver lining here. Some Tennessee cities are actually trending in the right direction, slowly moving down the list over time – which, in this case, is a very good thing.

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That said, there are still some health challenges worth paying attention to. Memphis ranks high in several categories, including having one of the largest percentages of adults dealing with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Meanwhile, both Chattanooga and Memphis rank near the bottom when it comes to adults eating enough fruits and vegetables.

What Other Cities Made the Overweight List?

You can scroll over the map below to see the rankings for the rest of the cities included in this study. You can see the full report here.