WASHINGTON — When it comes to obesity and overweight rates, D.C., Maryland and Virginia rank pretty low, according to a WalletHub ranking of the Fattest States in America.
To rank states, it considered share of obese and overweight population, obesity-related health care costs and sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents.
Maryland ranks No. 24 on the list of fattest states. Virginia is No. 38 and, when compared to states, the D.C. is No. 39.
WalletHub says the five fattest states, based on its criteria, are Mississippi, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than seven in 10 U.S. adults 20 and older are either overweight or obese. Americans are expected to spend more than $68 billion on weight loss programs this year, and the U.S. spends nearly $200 billion in annual health care costs related to obesity.
A Physical Activity Council report says more than 81 million Americans aged 6 and older were completely inactive in 2016.
