How Fat Is Your State?

Learn the obesity rates in your state—and how they affect your life expectancy

By Kimberly Fusaro Posted July 29, 2009 from WomansDay.com

Plenty of factors contribute to your life expectancy, including your family medical history, habits (ahem—smokers), and even your race. But no matter how you stack up in other categories, if you don’t keep your weight in check, you’re setting yourself up for a host of life-threatening ailments. Want proof? The numbers below tell a scary story: The states with highest percentages of obese adults—including Alabama (31.2%), Louisiana (28.9%) and Mississippi (32.5%)—have some of the lowest life expectancies in the country—74.6, 74.4, and 73.7 years, respectively. Compare those states to Colorado—where only 18.9 percent of adults are obese and the life expectancy is 78.4 years. Where your state falls on the fit-to-fat spectrum shouldn’t be your only health concern, but it’s certainly worth keeping tabs on.
See the map below to learn the obesity stats for each state, and to find out the life expectancy in the five states where it’s highest and the five where it’s lowest.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and Trust for America's Health
*This data is based on the Census Bureau’s data, which they compiled most recently in 2000.