Study Says Three of the Top 10 Most Overweight Cities in America are Located in Tennessee
It's not just a stereotype that Americans are some of the most overweight people in the world, the statistics back up that perception too. The data says that nearly 42% of U.S. adults are obese. But what cities have the most overweight residents? There's a study that answers that question and the answers are NOT great for Tennessee.
READ MORE: Tennessee Ranks Among the Most Sinful States – What Makes It So Naughty?
How Experts Determined the Most Overweight Cities in America
The folks at WalletHub.com compared 100 of the most populated U.S. metro areas in three main categories and more than a dozen indicators of weight-related problems.
- Obesity & Overweight: Share of overweight & obese adults, teenagers, and children.
- Health Consequences: Number of adults with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
- Food & Fitness: Number of adults who eat fruits and vegetables, access to healthy foods and recreational activities.
READ MORE: Massive New “Crayola Experience” Coming to Popular Tennessee City in 2024
Three Tennessee Cities Included in the Top 10 Most Overweight in America
I'm sorry to say, Tennesseeans, that the study ranks three of your cities in the top 10 most overweight cities in the country. Let's take a look at which ones they are...
- Knoxville is ranked #6. Knoxville ranked #1 for percentage of adults with high cholesterol.
- Memphis is ranked #7. Memphis ranked #3 for percentage of adults with diabetes.
- Chatanooga is ranked #10. Chatanooga ranked #4 for the percentage of adults with low fruit/vegetable consumption.
Why Do We Need Another Study About Obesity in America?
WalletHub is a personal finance organization, so the studies they publish always examine the subject matter through a financial lens - and obesity in America is no different...
Obesity is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., and it’s costing us big time. In the most overweight and obese cities, residents often lack easy access to healthy food and recreation opportunities, so investing in those areas should help improve people’s diets and exercise regimens, and reduce the financial burden overall.
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.
7 Major Red Flags For People Moving To Tennessee
Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Ribbon Cutting
Gallery Credit: Liberty