Denver Among U.S. Cities With Lowest Obesity Rates, Study Finds
DENVER (CBS4) - A new study from personal finance website WalletHub ranks the Denver metro among U.S. cities with the lowest obesity rates. The study compared 100 of the most populated U.S. metro areas across indicators of weight-related problems.
In the ranking of 'fattest cities' in the U.S., the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area came in 94th place overall out of the 100 areas that were analyzed. The study evaluated metrics including obesity rates, fruit and vegetable consumption, share of diabetic adults and inactivity rates.
Top 5 States For Weight-Related Problems:
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
- Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Jackson, MS
- Knoxville, TN
The Denver metro was ranked 98th in the nation for high obesity rates. When researchers analyzed the percentage of adults with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, the Denver metro came in 94th place.
WalletHub also analyzed the diet and physical activity of adults across cities in America. The metrics included access to parks and recreational facilities along with the number of health workers per capita. In this category, the Denver metro ranked 79th in the nation.
Colorado Springs was also one of the leanest cities in the rankings. Its overall score was 94.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of U.S. adults are obese. Annual health care costs for obesity-related illnesses accounts for $190.2 billion or nearly 20 percent of annual medical spending in the U.S.
