Obesity Rates In America are increasing according to a new BMI study performed by Gallop. The new study just released its 2013 survey on US obesity rates, and they show obesity rates are increasing across America. Obesity rates increased to 27.1% from 26.2% in 2012, and is up 1.6 percentage points from 25.5% in 2008. In the study, people are classified as obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or more. There were 11 states with obesity rates that topped 30%, compared to five states in 2012, doubling the increase in obesity rates. 

Obesity rates across the states have been computed and the state with the highest obesity rates is officially Mississippi and the lowest rates in America are in Montana. West Virginia had the highest obesity rate in 2012 but has now lost its title to Mississippi. Montana has have the lowest rates of obesity for the third time in a row according to the new BMI study. 

Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Delaware and Arkansas topped the list as states with the highest rates of obesity while Montana, Colorado, Nevada, Minnesota and Massachusetts have the lowest rates of obesity. New York and California made the healthy list again as they top the list of low obesity rates in America every year since 2008.

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey Jan. 2-Dec. 29, 2013, with a random sample of 178,072 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

A recent federal study shows that things are much better with childhood obesity. The obesity rates of children ages 2 to 5 years old declined from 13.9% to 8.4% between 2003 and 2013.

The 10 highest obesity states have higher rates of chronic diseases like high cholesterol and diabetes, and have a high blood pressure diagnosis, compared to 26.4% of Americans living in the 10 least obese states.

35.4 percent of Mississippians have a BMI above 30, giving the southern state the highest obesity rate in the country.

Why is Mississippi so overweight?

Is it the chicken fried steak, grits and corn bread and the state is too hot most of the time to burn off the fat?

Maybe.

Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country which has a high amount of people who are on Welfare.

Not surprising.

What do you think of the results?