America's top 10 fattest cities revealed: Figures show one third of adults in the U.S. are obese

Texas town of McAllen-Edinburg-Mission is the fattest in America

America's top 10 fattest cities have been revealed in a study highlighting the nation's obesity epidemic.

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission in Texas, near the Mexican border, is the most overweight with an obesity rate of 38.8 per cent.

It was followed by Binghamton, New York, with a rate of 37.6 per cent, and Huntington, West Virginia, where 36 per cent of residents are obese , according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Fattest: The cities with the fattest Americans are concentrated in the eastern half of the country

THE TOP TEN FATTEST TOWNS

1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas. Obesity rate: 38.8 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $410.9million

2. Binghamton, New York. Obesity rate: 37.6 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs $131.5million

3. Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio. Obesity rate: 36 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $146.9million

4. Rockford, Illinois. Obesity rate: 35.5 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $179.4million

5. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas. Obesity rate: 33.8 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $182.8million

6. Charleston, West Virginia. Obesity rate: 33.8 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $146.9million

7. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida. Obesity rate: 33.5 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $279.3million

8. Topeka, Kansas. Obesity rate: 33.3 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $109.8million

9. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Washington. Obesity rate: 33.2 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $116.5million

10. Reading, Pennsylvania. Obesity rate: 32.7 per cent. Annual obesity-related costs: $190.2million

In 2010, 33.3 per cent of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area's population was obese, according to a survey, so the data suggests that the country's most obese city is also getting worse.



Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show m ore than one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese.

CNBC reported that the epidemic has been going on for decades, and today healthcare costs associated with obesity are estimated at $147billion a year.

To be considered obese, a person has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. With the extra weight comes myriad health issues - obesity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

The health implications are apparent — of the cities with the highest obesity levels, 58 per cent of their residents were more likely to report having had a heart attack over the course of their lifetimes, and 34 per cent were more likely to report having high blood pressure.

Combined, residents of these cities also pay an estimated $1billion more in medical costs each year thanks to their high obesity rates.

In 2010, the government announced its goal to lower the prevalence of obesity to 15 per cent.

In 2011, only three out of the 190 areas surveyed in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index had an obesity rate below that level.

They were Fort-Collins-Loveland, Colorado, Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, and Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder ranked as the least obese city, with an obesity rate of 12.1 per cent.

It’s not all bad news, however. According to the CDC, although there was a rise in obesity between 1983 and 2000, the rates actually have stabilized over the past 10 years.

'There has been no change in obesity prevalence in recent years,' CDC scientist Heidi Blanck said. 'However, over the last decade there has been a significant increase in obesity prevalence among men and boys, but not among women and girls overall.'

The government is aiming to eventually reduce the rate of obesity.

In 2010, the Childhood Obesity Task Force released 70 recommendations to prevent and control childhood obesity.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index results were based on telephone interviews throughout 2011, with a random sampling of 353,492 adults living in the U.S..

Healthcare costs were based on the National Institute of Health’s estimate of $1,429 per person, per year, in additional health-care costs for people considered obese, compared to those of non-obese individuals.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranked the 10 most obese metropolitan areas in the U.S.