America is struggling with an obesity problem, as nearly 42% of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Whether this is due to lack of healthy food items and education or easy access to fast food, obesity-related healthcare costs in America have grown to $190.2 billion, the National League of Cities recently reported.
In a new WalletHub study, 100 of the most populated metropolitan areas were compared to 19 key indicators of weight-related problems to reveal which U.S. cities are the most overweight and obese in 2025.
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The analysis then ranked each city on three dimensions: obesity and overweight, health consequences, and food and fitness.
“Obesity is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., and it’s costing us big time,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, who is based in South Carolina, said in a statement.
“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.”
Obesity is defined by the CDC as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity is defined as having a BMI of 40 or higher.
The following cities came out on top as the most overweight in the country.
McAllen, Texas, ranked No. 1 as America’s most overweight city.
Hidalgo County came in first overall, with the highest percentage of obese adults (45%) and physically inactive adults.
McAllen specifically ranked No. 3 for obesity and overweight, as well as food and fitness. It also came in fifth for health consequences.
The study also found that 31% of adults in McAllen are overweight, but not obese.
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The Texas city has the second-highest share of obese teenagers, the analysis found, and the fifth-highest number of obese children.
“McAllen residents are also very affected by diseases related to being [at] an unhealthy weight,” WalletHub called out.
“For example, the city has the eighth-highest share of people with diabetes and the fourth-highest heart disease rate.”
Little Rock, Arkansas, ranked as America’s second-most overweight city.
Arkansas’ capital came in fourth for health consequences, fifth for obesity and overweight, and seventh for food and fitness.
The city has the fourth-highest rate of obese children aged 10 to 17 at nearly 23%, as well as high rates of teenage obesity, according to WalletHub.
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Little Rock residents struggle with weight-related conditions, with the fourth-highest percentage of adults with high blood pressure and the fifth-highest rate of heart disease.
The city has the second-lowest numbers of health educators per capita, the study revealed, and limited access to healthy foods.
“The problem will likely remain for the foreseeable future, too, as Little Rock has the second-highest projected obesity rate for 2030,” WalletHub predicted.
Jackson, Mississippi, came in as No. 3 overall, but ranked No. 1 in the obesity and overweight benchmark.
The city also has the second-highest percentage of physically inactive adults, which WalletHub considered a “big reason” why many residents are overweight and obese.
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About 37% of adults in Jackson are obese, with high rates of obesity for kids and teens as well.
Among medical conditions, the city has the second-highest percentage of residents that have had a stroke and the sixth-highest rate of high blood pressure.
WalletHub added that many Jackson residents lack easy access to healthy food.
Cristina Palacios, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida International University, emphasized in a statement the importance of maintaining a healthy diet for weight.
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“My suggestion is to improve one’s diet by taking a critical look at what we eat and drink and plan on how to improve it slowly,” she said. “It is very challenging to change everything at once. Take one action and implement it.”
“For example, you could start by eating all your meals with water instead of juice, sodas, etc.,” she said.
“This may take some time, as many are used to drinking something sweet, but this is a powerful first step, as the calories from beverages are not registered by our brain and one can drink a lot of calories without compensating later in the day.”
