RI Ranked as One of Least Obese States in U.S.
Thursday, November 03, 2016
Rhode Island is ranked as one of the least obese state in the United States, according to a study done by WalletHub. Rhode Island was ranked 40th out of of 51 states, including the District of Columbia.
"New statistics published by the Physical Activity Council suggest a need for more aggressive efforts to combat the issue. In 2015, about 81.6 million Americans were completely inactive. In addition to factors such as genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness, lack of physical activity is one of the leading causes of obesity," said WalletHub.
Rhode Island is ranked 38th in obesity and overweight prevalence, 28th in unhealthy habits and consequences, and 46th in food and fitness rank.
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Rhode Island is ranked 40th behind Vermont and Wyoming at 38 and 39, while ranking in front of Idaho and New York respectively.
Mississippi is ranked as the fattest state, while Utah is ranked as the least obese state.
See the Rankings in the Map Below.
The Method
In order to determine the fattest states in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Unhealthy Habits & Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness.
They evaluated those dimensions using 17 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most unhealthy conditions.
Lastly, they calculated overall scores for each state based on the weighted average across all metrics and used the results to construct our ranking.
Obesity & Overweight Prevalence – Total Points: 70
- Percentage of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Percentage of Overweight Teenagers: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Teenagers: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Percentage of Overweight Children: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
- Percentage of Obese Children: Double Weight (~14.00 Points)
- Projected Obesity Rate in 2030: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
Unhealthy Habits & Consequences: 25
- Percentage of Residents Who Are Physically Inactive: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with Diabetes: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Percentage of Residents with Hypertension: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Obesity-Related Death Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Food & Fitness: 5
- Healthy-Food Access (percentage of urban-area residents with low income and living more than 1 mi. from a grocery store or supermarket): Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Number of Fast-Food Restaurants per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Number of Fitness Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
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