The map below shows the most recent 2011 CDC data measuring adult obesity prevalence. The CDC calculates this measure using a person's body mass index, based off a person's weight and height.
The following definitions are used to describe whether an individual is obese:
-- Healthy weight: Neither overweight nor obese
-- Overweight: Body mass index of 25-29.9
-- Obese: Body mass index of 30-99.8
-- No physical activity: Respondents reporting doing no physical activity or exercise in the past 30 days
The CDC recently changed its methodology. While the definitions remain the same, cell phone surveys are now used and the data is weighted differently to calculate the obesity rate. Agency officials told Governing 2011 data is not comparable to prior years.
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| < 24% | < 28% | < 32% | 32%+ |
2010 Data for Metro Areas
The CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System measures obesity and other health factors. The table below shows 2010 obesity rate estimates for each geographic region surveyed, most of which are metro areas. Click here for a complete list of communities included in the 2010 survey, along with specific counties comprising each area. Please note that these obesity rates are not comparable to 2011 estimates because the methodology has changed.
| Area | Healthy Weight | Overweight | Obese | No Physical Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-NJ Metro Area | 30.7% | 42.5% | 26.8% | 27.8% |
| Austin-Round Rock-TX Metro Area | 35.9% | 37.1% | 27.0% | 19.3% |
| Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick-MD Metro Division | 42.8% | 37.3% | 19.9% | 17.3% |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Tonawanda-NY Metro Area | 37.9% | 37.5% | 24.7% | 23.9% |
| Charleston-North Charleston-SC Metro Area | 34.7% | 36.4% | 29.0% | 25.4% |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord-NC-SC Metro Area | 37.0% | 35.0% | 28.0% | 22.6% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet-IL-IN-WI Metro Area | 38.8% | 34.2% | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| Coeur d´Alene-ID Metro Area | 35.5% | 39.8% | 24.7% | 18.8% |
| Denver-Aurora-CO Metro Area | 43.0% | 37.4% | 19.6% | 16.2% |
| Durham-NC Metro Area | 41.1% | 32.4% | 26.6% | 22.0% |
| Edison-NJ Metro Division | 38.5% | 37.4% | 24.2% | 26.0% |
| Greenville-SC Metro Area | 32.1% | 33.9% | 34.0% | 26.5% |
| Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir-NC Metro Area | 33.4% | 41.7% | 25.0% | 30.2% |
| Kennewick-Richland-Pasco-WA Metro Area | 33.4% | 35.1% | 31.5% | 24.2% |
| Key West-Marathon-FL Micropolitan Area | 46.0% | 37.1% | 16.9% | 16.9% |
| Kingsport-Bristol-TN-VA Metro Area | 29.9% | 33.4% | 36.7% | 37.6% |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-AR Metro Area | 29.3% | 36.0% | 34.6% | 23.8% |
| Louisville-KY-IN Metro Area | 33.7% | 35.1% | 31.2% | 25.2% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach-FL Metro Area | 34.2% | 37.5% | 28.3% | 24.1% |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach-SC Metro Area | 32.2% | 41.2% | 26.6% | 22.7% |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro-TN Metro Area | 37.8% | 37.4% | 24.7% | 26.7% |
| New Haven-Milford-CT Metro Area | 38.8% | 34.9% | 26.2% | 22.1% |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner-LA Metro Area | 30.1% | 37.2% | 32.6% | 26.9% |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne-NY-NJ Metro Division | 40.5% | 37.6% | 21.9% | 24.6% |
| Newark-Union-NJ-PA Metro Division | 38.2% | 37.9% | 23.9% | 26.1% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-FL Metro Area | 34.3% | 37.4% | 28.3% | 25.3% |
| Panama City-Lynn Haven-FL Metro Area | 34.1% | 37.9% | 28.0% | 23.9% |
| Peabody-MA | 41.0% | 36.7% | 22.3% | 19.6% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale-AZ Metro Area | 36.0% | 41.1% | 22.8% | 18.5% |
| Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce-FL Metro Area | 35.5% | 36.5% | 28.0% | 22.1% |
| Portland-South Portland-Biddeford-ME Metro Area | 37.6% | 38.6% | 23.9% | 17.9% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton-OR-WA Metro Area | 40.3% | 33.7% | 26.0% | 15.8% |
| Sacramento—Arden-Arcade—Roseville-CA Metro Area | 40.9% | 35.1% | 24.0% | 15.3% |
| Salt Lake City-UT Metro Area | 41.8% | 34.6% | 23.6% | 18.3% |
| San Antonio-TX Metro Area | 36.7% | 33.5% | 29.8% | 26.5% |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos-CA Metro Area | 41.2% | 32.8% | 26.1% | 19.0% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont-CA Metro Area | 44.8% | 36.9% | 18.2% | 17.4% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara-CA Metro Area | 39.7% | 39.1% | 21.2% | 17.0% |
| Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine-CA Metro Division | 43.1% | 36.3% | 20.7% | 21.1% |
| Santa Fe-NM Metro Area | 46.3% | 32.9% | 20.8% | 17.9% |
| Scottsbluff-NE Micropolitan Area | 27.9% | 39.1% | 33.0% | 27.5% |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre-PA Metro Area | 35.9% | 35.7% | 28.4% | 32.8% |
| Seaford-DE Micropolitan Area | 30.5% | 37.7% | 31.8% | 25.8% |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-WA Metro Division | 42.3% | 34.9% | 22.8% | 16.6% |
| Sebring-FL Micropolitan Area | 35.5% | 35.0% | 29.4% | 28.9% |
| Shreveport-Bossier City-LA Metro Area | 33.2% | 36.3% | 30.4% | 34.1% |
| Sioux City-IA-NE-SD Metro Area | 32.6% | 35.7% | 31.7% | 28.2% |
| Sioux Falls-SD Metro Area | 33.3% | 39.9% | 26.8% | 21.4% |
| Spokane-WA Metro Area | 35.9% | 39.7% | 24.5% | 18.3% |
| Springfield-MA Metro Area | 41.2% | 35.0% | 23.8% | 20.5% |
| St. Louis-MO-IL Metro Area | 36.2% | 33.9% | 29.8% | 25.5% |
| Wichita Falls-TX Metro Area | 32.9% | 39.2% | 27.9% | 28.6% |
| Wichita-KS Metro Area | 38.5% | 34.4% | 27.1% | 22.6% |
| Akron-OH Metro Area | 38.2% | 32.5% | 29.3% | 22.6% |
| Albuquerque-NM Metro Area | 43.3% | 34.9% | 21.7% | 18.0% |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton-PA-NJ Metro Area | 37.5% | 33.5% | 29.0% | 26.1% |
| Amarillo-TX Metro Area | 35.0% | 36.3% | 28.7% | 24.1% |
| Arcadia-FL Micropolitan Area | 32.2% | 33.7% | 34.1% | 35.1% |
| Asheville-NC Metro Area | 37.3% | 35.2% | 27.5% | 22.2% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta-GA Metro Area | 37.4% | 33.9% | 28.7% | 22.1% |
| Augusta-Richmond County-GA-SC Metro Area | 31.1% | 36.8% | 32.1% | 25.9% |
| Augusta-Waterville-ME Micropolitan Area | 37.1% | 33.4% | 29.4% | 22.3% |
| Baltimore-Towson-MD Metro Area | 33.5% | 38.4% | 28.0% | 24.0% |
| Bangor-ME Metro Area | 31.1% | 35.4% | 33.5% | 24.1% |
| Barre-VT Micropolitan Area | 41.2% | 36.9% | 21.8% | 16.1% |
| Baton Rouge-LA Metro Area | 35.4% | 32.2% | 32.5% | 25.7% |
| Billings-MT Metro Area | 35.4% | 37.4% | 27.2% | 24.0% |
| Birmingham-Hoover-AL Metro Area | 33.7% | 37.0% | 29.3% | 29.2% |
| Bismarck-ND Metro Area | 39.4% | 36.1% | 24.5% | 19.4% |
| Boise City-Nampa-ID Metro Area | 38.0% | 36.6% | 25.3% | 16.6% |
| Boston-Quincy-MA Metro Division | 43.2% | 34.8% | 22.0% | 21.5% |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-WA Metro Area | 34.9% | 36.3% | 28.8% | 15.3% |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-CT Metro Area | 45.6% | 37.8% | 16.6% | 18.8% |
| Burlington-South Burlington-VT Metro Area | 42.3% | 36.0% | 21.7% | 13.6% |
| Cambridge-Newton-Framingham-MA Metro Division | 44.2% | 35.2% | 20.7% | 17.3% |
| Camden-NJ Metro Division | 34.7% | 35.8% | 29.5% | 27.2% |
| Canton-Massillon-OH Metro Area | 35.4% | 36.3% | 28.3% | 26.6% |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers-FL Metro Area | 40.0% | 34.2% | 25.8% | 27.9% |
| Casper-WY Metro Area | 34.7% | 37.7% | 27.6% | 23.2% |
| Cedar Rapids-IA Metro Area | 41.1% | 33.5% | 25.4% | 25.5% |
| Charleston-WV Metro Area | 30.5% | 37.3% | 32.3% | 31.4% |
| Chattanooga-TN-GA Metro Area | 30.9% | 38.6% | 30.4% | 32.2% |
| Cheyenne-WY Metro Area | 33.8% | 39.2% | 27.0% | 23.1% |
| Cincinnati-Middletown-OH-KY-IN Metro Area | 38.1% | 34.4% | 27.4% | 25.4% |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor-OH Metro Area | 34.4% | 40.9% | 24.7% | 22.7% |
| Colorado Springs-CO Metro Area | 38.6% | 37.8% | 23.6% | 19.1% |
| Columbia-SC Metro Area | 32.9% | 36.1% | 31.0% | 27.7% |
| Columbus-OH Metro Area | 34.5% | 35.0% | 30.5% | 26.3% |
| Concord-NH Micropolitan Area | 36.5% | 40.9% | 22.6% | 16.9% |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving-TX Metro Division | 36.4% | 29.8% | 33.8% | 26.4% |
| Dayton-OH Metro Area | 35.0% | 35.3% | 29.7% | 25.2% |
| Del Rio-TX Micropolitan Area | 25.8% | 32.9% | ||
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach-FL Metro Area | 34.8% | 38.0% | 27.2% | 23.7% |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines-IA Metro Area | 35.1% | 38.9% | 26.0% | 22.3% |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn-MI Metro Division | 32.9% | 34.0% | 33.1% | 28.3% |
| Dover-DE Metro Area | 29.4% | 38.8% | 31.9% | 30.4% |
| El Paso-TX Metro Area | 30.2% | 41.1% | 28.6% | 28.5% |
| Eugene-Springfield-OR Metro Area | 39.9% | 30.1% | 30.0% | 18.2% |
| Evansville-IN-KY Metro Area | 37.0% | 33.7% | 29.3% | 27.7% |
| Fargo-ND-MN Metro Area | 37.8% | 36.8% | 25.4% | 26.6% |
| Farmington-NM Metro Area | 35.0% | 31.4% | 33.7% | 22.9% |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers-AR-MO Metro Area | 38.5% | 37.1% | 24.4% | 26.2% |
| Fort Collins-Loveland-CO Metro Area | 50.2% | 28.5% | 21.3% | 13.1% |
| Fort Wayne-IN Metro Area | 30.9% | 36.0% | 33.2% | 23.4% |
| Fort Worth-Arlington-TX Metro Division | 30.3% | 34.4% | 35.3% | 24.0% |
| Gainesville-FL Metro Area | 43.8% | 36.0% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Grand Island-NE Micropolitan Area | 31.2% | 39.9% | 29.0% | 26.2% |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-MI Metro Area | 34.8% | 38.7% | 26.6% | 19.3% |
| Greensboro-High Point-NC Metro Area | 32.7% | 38.6% | 28.7% | 23.4% |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg-MD-WV Metro Area | 34.3% | 33.6% | 32.1% | 27.7% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford-CT Metro Area | 38.0% | 37.9% | 24.2% | 19.5% |
| Hastings-NE Micropolitan Area | 33.4% | 35.8% | 30.8% | 26.0% |
| Helena-MT Micropolitan Area | 39.3% | 39.6% | 21.1% | 18.4% |
| Hilo-HI Micropolitan Area | 39.4% | 33.9% | 26.8% | 19.2% |
| Hilton Head Island-Beaufort-SC Micropolitan Area | 40.2% | 37.5% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
| Homosassa Springs-FL Micropolitan Area | 38.3% | 38.0% | 23.7% | 22.7% |
| Honolulu-HI Metro Area | 43.9% | 34.2% | 21.9% | 19.7% |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown-TX Metro Area | 36.9% | 34.0% | 29.1% | 23.6% |
| Huntington-Ashland-WV-KY-OH Metro Area | 30.6% | 35.8% | 33.5% | 30.2% |
| Idaho Falls-ID Metro Area | 35.9% | 35.8% | 28.3% | 19.4% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-IN Metro Area | 36.2% | 35.7% | 28.2% | 23.5% |
| Jackson-MS Metro Area | 33.3% | 33.5% | 33.3% | 31.5% |
| Jacksonville-FL Metro Area | 38.6% | 35.4% | 26.0% | 27.9% |
| Kahului-Wailuku-HI Micropolitan Area | 37.1% | 35.9% | 27.0% | 16.4% |
| Kalispell-MT Micropolitan Area | 40.5% | 41.2% | 18.3% | 20.4% |
| Kansas City-MO-KS Metro Area | 34.5% | 36.0% | 29.5% | 23.0% |
| Kapaa-HI Micropolitan Area | 44.5% | 31.8% | 23.7% | 16.5% |
| Knoxville-TN Metro Area | 35.4% | 34.1% | 30.5% | 29.1% |
| Lake City-FL Micropolitan Area | 29.7% | 39.1% | 31.2% | 28.0% |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven-FL Metro Area | 29.0% | 33.0% | 37.9% | 26.0% |
| Laredo-TX Metro Area | 29.1% | 37.6% | 33.3% | 34.2% |
| Las Cruces-NM Metro Area | 32.0% | 37.2% | 30.8% | 24.5% |
| Las Vegas-Paradise-NV Metro Area | 39.6% | 37.3% | 23.1% | 23.7% |
| Lebanon-NH-VT Micropolitan Area | 40.2% | 34.6% | 25.2% | 19.6% |
| Lewiston-ID-WA Metro Area | 35.0% | 38.3% | 26.7% | 22.3% |
| Lewiston-Auburn-ME Metro Area | 38.2% | 34.9% | 26.9% | 24.3% |
| Lincoln-NE Metro Area | 37.4% | 32.5% | 30.1% | 18.2% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale-CA Metro Division | 37.5% | 38.2% | 24.3% | 20.8% |
| Lubbock-TX Metro Area | 35.3% | 32.5% | 32.2% | 30.7% |
| Manchester-Nashua-NH Metro Area | 39.7% | 35.8% | 24.5% | 18.7% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-TX Metro Area | 30.8% | 35.8% | 33.3% | 36.0% |
| Memphis-TN-MS-AR Metro Area | 28.9% | 35.3% | 35.8% | 26.1% |
| Midland-TX Metro Area | 38.5% | 37.6% | 23.9% | 33.3% |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis-WI Metro Area | 39.1% | 35.0% | 26.0% | 24.4% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington-MN-WI Metro Area | 38.4% | 36.7% | 24.9% | 17.1% |
| Minot-ND Micropolitan Area | 30.8% | 40.4% | 28.9% | 26.5% |
| Mobile-AL Metro Area | 32.8% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 30.3% |
| Naples-Marco Island-FL Metro Area | 40.8% | 36.4% | 22.9% | 13.6% |
| Nassau-Suffolk-NY Metro Division | 41.3% | 36.8% | 21.9% | 22.7% |
| Norfolk-NE Micropolitan Area | 29.0% | 38.4% | 32.5% | 28.3% |
| North Platte-NE Micropolitan Area | 33.2% | 34.6% | 32.2% | 28.8% |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota-FL Metro Area | 41.9% | 36.4% | 21.6% | 21.6% |
| Ocala-FL Metro Area | 32.5% | 33.7% | 33.8% | 28.8% |
| Ocean City-NJ Metro Area | 37.0% | 37.6% | 25.4% | 24.9% |
| Ogden-Clearfield-UT Metro Area | 39.6% | 34.2% | 26.2% | 16.5% |
| Oklahoma City-OK Metro Area | 35.1% | 34.8% | 30.1% | 28.5% |
| Olympia-WA Metro Area | 41.5% | 33.7% | 24.8% | 15.2% |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-NE-IA Metro Area | 37.0% | 37.2% | 25.8% | 23.7% |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville-FL Metro Area | 31.4% | 37.4% | 31.3% | 26.4% |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent-FL Metro Area | 35.5% | 35.0% | 29.6% | 25.5% |
| Philadelphia-PA Metro Division | 39.9% | 35.7% | 24.4% | 24.2% |
| Pittsburgh-PA Metro Area | 35.0% | 35.7% | 29.3% | 23.6% |
| Providence-New Bedford-Fall River-RI-MA Metro Area | 35.7% | 37.9% | 26.4% | 24.3% |
| Provo-Orem-UT Metro Area | 44.3% | 33.9% | 21.8% | 16.2% |
| Raleigh-Cary-NC Metro Area | 37.1% | 36.0% | 27.0% | 20.4% |
| Rapid City-SD Metro Area | 32.3% | 42.2% | 25.5% | 24.4% |
| Reno-Sparks-NV Metro Area | 42.5% | 36.8% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Richmond-VA Metro Area | 32.8% | 41.1% | 26.1% | 26.2% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario-CA Metro Area | 35.1% | 36.4% | 28.5% | 23.6% |
| Rochester-NY Metro Area | 37.4% | 34.5% | 28.1% | 19.0% |
| Rockingham County-Strafford County-NH Metro Division | 37.1% | 36.1% | 26.8% | 19.5% |
| Rutland-VT Micropolitan Area | 36.2% | 33.3% | 30.5% | 22.6% |
| Tacoma-WA Metro Division | 32.3% | 36.5% | 31.2% | 19.6% |
| Tallahassee-FL Metro Area | 33.6% | 39.9% | 26.5% | 22.1% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater-FL Metro Area | 35.5% | 38.2% | 26.3% | 22.1% |
| Toledo-OH Metro Area | 31.1% | 38.6% | 30.3% | 24.7% |
| Topeka-KS Metro Area | 28.9% | 35.0% | 36.1% | 22.3% |
| Trenton-Ewing-NJ Metro Area | 43.3% | 33.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% |
| Tucson-AZ Metro Area | 41.6% | 31.8% | 26.6% | 20.3% |
| Tulsa-OK Metro Area | 33.6% | 36.3% | 30.1% | 29.2% |
| Tuscaloosa-AL Metro Area | 30.8% | 38.0% | 31.2% | 31.0% |
| Twin Falls-ID Micropolitan Area | 35.7% | 33.2% | 31.1% | 25.4% |
| Tyler-TX Metro Area | 39.5% | 35.2% | 25.3% | 26.0% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News-VA-NC Metro Area | 37.8% | 32.0% | 30.3% | 22.8% |
| Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills-MI Metro Division | 34.4% | 35.2% | 30.4% | 19.4% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria-DC-VA-MD-WV Metro | 37.8% | 37.0% | 25.2% | 19.3% |
| Wauchula-FL Micropolitan Area | 17.6% | 40.6% | 41.8% | 27.2% |
| West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach Metro Division | 39.9% | 40.1% | 20.0% | 22.6% |
| Wilmington-DE-MD-NJ Metro Division | 35.5% | 34.2% | 30.4% | 23.5% |
| Worcester-MA Metro Area | 39.1% | 35.8% | 25.2% | 19.0% |
| Yakima-WA Metro Area | 31.6% | 37.0% | 31.4% | 25.1% |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman-OH-PA Metro Area | 29.7% | 35.5% | 34.8% | 26.4% |
Governors in New York, Georgia and Tennessee have all announced plans to combat high rates of obesity among their citizens, in order to save taxpayers money. Nationwide, a third of all adults, 78 million of them, are obese,
Less than 1 percent of the programs 50 million beneficiaries have used the benefit so far. Experts blame the government’s failure to promote the program, rules that limit where and when patients can go for counseling as well as the low fees for providers.
The governor of New Jersey is much less fat than he used to be. Many see the accomplishment as essential if the Republican intends to make a 2016 bid for the White House.