A few months into the new year, and people who made resolutions to get healthier are either thriving or struggling with their commitment. While each city has its share of active adults, a large percentage of the population still falls under the overweight and obese categories.
A new study by WalletHub compared some of the most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S. to determine which are the most overweight in the country. Several in Louisiana made the cut, including three ranking in the top 10.
Here is where the most populated Louisiana metro areas rank on the list:
- Baton Rouge (3)
- Shreveport-Bossier City (5)
- Lafayette (9)
- New Orleans-Metairie (19)
Lafayette came in third overall for the highest percentage of obese adults and second for highest percentage of physically inactive adults, while it, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge took the top three spots for percentage of adults with the lowest consumption of fruits and vegetables.
These are the top 10 metropolitan areas considered the most overweight in the country:
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
- Memphis, Tennessee-Mississippi-Arkansas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas
- Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana
- Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Mobile, Alabama
- Lafayette, Louisiana
- Knoxville, Tennessee
To determine the list, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated metro areas in the U.S. using three factors: obesity and overweight, health consequences, and food and fitness. These factors were then evaluated using 19 relevant metrics, including share of overweight and obese adults and children, projected obesity rates by 2030, share of diabetic adults and those with high cholesterol, heart disease rate, obesity-related death rate, share of physically inactive adults, and more.
Check out the full list of cities here.
Photo: Getty Images