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Top 10 Least Obese U.S. States

Name the states of the U.S. where the lowest percentage of adults are obese, defined as having a BMI over 30.
Source: CDC, 2021
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Quiz by Sappa
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Last updated: January 28, 2023
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First submittedNovember 5, 2016
Times taken50,821
Average score70.0%
Rating4.74
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State
25.0
Hawaii
25.1
Colorado
27.4
Massachusetts
27.6
California
28.2
New Jersey
%
State
28.8
Washington
29.0
Vermont
29.1
New York
30.1
Rhode Island
30.4
Oregon
84 Comments
+10
Level 67
Jan 16, 2018
Interesting. Northeastern states I expecteded, since I've been there, and Pacific, but didn't quite expect the Rockies states.
+56
Level 69
Jan 17, 2018
There's lots of reasons why! The Mountain States are full of outdoor enthusiasts: skiers, mountain bikers, etc. In the rural areas, it's also a lot of work to care for your property, farm, livestock, whatever. Plus, with all that clean air and beautiful land, people are general very health-conscious – about what we eat, etc. And at that altitude, walking down the street'll burn 500 calories. ;-)
+2
Level 23
Oct 10, 2024
bro wrote an entire paragraph
+16
Level 32
Apr 8, 2018
America is fatter than I thought. A fifth of the population of the least obese state is fat.
+26
Level 67
Apr 8, 2018
I think 1 in 3 Americans is obese. Not just fat. Obese. That's horrifying. It's an epidemic, and it needs more attention. It drives up the costs of health care and other social safety net programs.
+1
Level 57
Mar 13, 2024
1 in 4 is the United Kingdom.
+8
Level 75
Apr 9, 2018
Interesting how 1/3 of Americans are obese, yet around 13% of Americans have "food insecurity," which doesn't necessarily mean they're dying of starvation, moreso that they may only eat once a day or every other day.
+26
Level 74
Apr 9, 2018
I blame too much convenience food, too little sleep, too much TV, too much self-indulgence with junk food, and too much computer and phone time, sitting on our backsides taking online quizzes or gaming when we should be working or actively playing (or getting a good night's sleep). Grandma and Grandpa worked from before sun up to past sun down, raising food, cooking and preparing that food (no fast food alternatives), cleaning and maintaining their home and property (without riding lawnmowers or power vacuums), caring for animals, and then getting a good night's sleep. If they ate sweets it was only a small piece of cake or candy as a treat. They practiced the principle of delayed gratification without even realizing it, and depended on themselves to do whatever needed to be done. Hmmm, I've just shamed myself into getting off the computer and getting busy. Bye y'all.
+12
Level 63
Apr 13, 2018
I think it's about what people eat rather than how much they eat. I'm an expat in France, and people here are slimmer than North Americans. But actually they eat a lot. They just don't eat salted snacks and melted cheese, and they don't drink sugary drinks.
+6
Level 65
Nov 26, 2019
The question is, in the long run what costs a country more, paying fat people's healthcare till they die in their 60s or have a mostly healthy nation living long in to their 80s.
+1
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
That's a pretty sick way to look at things
+31
Level ∞
Dec 28, 2019
Nearly every European country has a problem with obesity as well.

https://www.jetpunk.com/info/countries-by-obesity

Honestly, the word "obese" sounds a lot worse than the actual condition. A 5'10" person is considered obese at a weight of 210 lbs, which is obviously overweight but hardly immobile.

For a particularly salient example, this guy was obese.

+3
Level 90
Apr 11, 2023
There's a lot of truth to that. According the the BMI I'm considered overweight and pretty close to obese. But I'm an avid hiker and can hike 15-20 miles a day at high elevation pretty easily and when I'm not hiking I play competitive tennis 4-5 times a week. The BMI is a very general indicator of overall health, but there are a lot of other factors that are just as relevant.
+4
Level 94
Feb 13, 2020
Thanks for that QM, I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to watch that man run.
+8
Level 74
Aug 13, 2020
While BMI as a metric is pretty invalid if you lift, most people don't lift
+2
Level 82
Oct 20, 2020
Agreed, BMI takes no account of body muscle. It is a rudimentary and misleading calculation.
+3
Level 86
Oct 20, 2020
Hmm.... plastic hormone disruptors or the fact that we don't walk anywhere anymore, have power tools to do our most basic functions, and eat like pigs?

Occam's Razor.

+2
Level 34
Apr 11, 2023
fourth*
+3
Level 31
Oct 20, 2020
Missed Colorado and Montana :D
+3
Level 31
Oct 20, 2020
missed Colorado and Montana :D
+1
Level 71
Jan 28, 2023
You don’t need to write the same comment twice.
+5
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
You don't need to call someone out for a mistake or computer error.
+1
Level 23
Oct 10, 2024
you don't need to be obvious
+4
Level 66
Jan 16, 2018
Something odd I discovered. In all of these states, with the exception of Utah, medical marijuana is legal. Any possible connection?
+37
Level 69
Jan 17, 2018
Politically liberal governments give rise to much better healthcare and social welfare programs. Utah, on the other hand, is pretty easily explained by Mormons, who don't smoke, drink, or do drugs.
+13
Level 76
Jan 25, 2018
The highest BMI states correlated pretty well with the poorest states (7 were on both lists). I haven't checked how this one correlates with the richest states, but I expect there might be some overlap.
+8
Level 76
Jan 25, 2018
Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, New Hampshire, California. So 5 states on least obese and richest both.
+4
Level 30
Apr 10, 2018
There is also the factor of increased social pressure to look better in liberal states (there's more people to see you, liberals live in metropolitan states...) :)
+1
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
Yeah, that's probably pretty low on the list of reasons
+1
Level 72
Jan 30, 2023
I so much disagree with your assessment. People on welfare are the fattest and unhealthiest demographic in America, and state sponsored medicine does not have a positive impact on obesity and fitness.

I'm a 4th generation CO native (19bmi haha), and grew up in a Colorado that was conservative. It only became liberal very recently due to a massive influx of Cali*****ans moving here, and bringing the same politics that destroyed their own state.

+7
Level 62
Apr 10, 2023
On a every corner of the internet there is a conservative American pissed off that Californians are moving into their state.

If you agree with this point of view, I highly recommend you start smoking cigarettes. It will alleviate the anxiety of living near "the libs" while also pissing them off. Most importantly, it will put you on a fast track to no longer annoying anyone within earshot of your constant complaining about how "things just ain't how they used to be." Marlboro, Camel, Newports, etc. you pick your poison... literally! Turn off that computer/phone and share a pack with a friend who shares your outdated belief systems!

+1
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
Sorry, what California politics are destroying Colorado? By most measures, Colorado is one of the best American states to live in and has been for years. If the housing prices say anything, it's that people from all over the country prefer Colorado to their own states. If you need a lame excuse to whine about Californians at least do it because of the cultural impact, not the liberal politics allegedly destroying the state.
+1
Level 46
Oct 15, 2024
Yeah, I don't think that this comment section is meant to be about politics...
+1
Level 84
Jan 31, 2023
@DanielCO citations are very much needed for your first paragraph
+4
Level 55
Apr 8, 2018
No.
+20
Level 83
Jan 19, 2018
I'm very surprised by Hawaii, I thought it would be similar to the rest of Pacific.
+17
Level 89
Apr 8, 2018
Hawaii natives do indeed have high rates of diabetes and obesity, there just aren't as as many of them as you'd expect. In Hawaii, the percentage of islanders is much lower than the percentage of people with Japanese ancestry.
+1
Level 67
Oct 20, 2020
Take a look at Nauru and you'll see how obese the Pacific is. (Although not all countries are that fat)
+1
Level 67
Apr 11, 2023
Yeah but Hawaii has far more Japanese than Hawaiians, which is why its here
+6
Level 66
Jan 23, 2018
An interesting quiz would be one with the highest discrepancy in reported vs. actual obesity (and one with the highest similarity).
+7
Level 59
Apr 4, 2020
How do you get the figures for the "actual" obesity rate, if it's not reported ?
+2
Level 19
Mar 5, 2018
You should update, I believe some states have shifted. I think Vermont is on the list now. And some of the BMI numbers have changed. But great quiz.
+16
Level 62
Apr 8, 2018
It's kind of sad that the lowest still has more than 22%
+3
Level 58
Apr 8, 2018
Yes... yes it is.
+27
Level 38
Apr 8, 2018
Lol New Jersey isn’t on here just because of Chris Christie
+1
Level 51
Oct 20, 2020
Chris Christie is (luckily) not serving now, and NJ has a new democratic governor, and also has gone up the ranks to 4th place now!
+3
Level 58
Apr 9, 2018
Never been to the USA, but I remember an american english teacher here in Colombia telling me "Colorado is the fittest state in the USA". Finally found out he was right.
+3
Level 64
Apr 9, 2018
BMI is also not a necessarily an indicator if a person is obese or not. I have a BMI of over 30, but that's because I'm mostly muscle - I may have a little bit more fat on me than necessary, but there is no way anyone would consider me obese, let alone fat.
+2
Level 30
Apr 10, 2018
exactly.... currently anyone that occupies themselves in physical combat sport and most people in the army are counted as obese because of BMI... :)
+3
Level 20
Apr 10, 2018
When we have female models who any respectable Doctor will tell you is morbidly obese yet we glorify them for parading around with fat folds hanging out all over their bathing suits and the public is castigated for pointing that out we will continue to be the most morbidly obese country in the World.
+3
Level 30
Apr 10, 2018
exactly- so-called 'fat-shaming' actually does more to harm people than to help. the fact that fat-shaming is apparently now a human rights issue is a sad reflection of western society....
+2
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
Right, because most female models before that were perfectly healthy, well-fed individuals without body dysmorphia. The notion that making negative comments about somebody's weight actually helps them is utterly ridiculous. Haven't heard that it's a human rights issue, but what's a sad reflection is society is people who give no thought to the fact that others have feelings or things going on in their lives that influence their habits, behaviors, and appearance. Especially pathetic because OP's comment is specifically about women, who are practically trained to hate the way they look from a young age.
+4
Level 38
Apr 10, 2018
Wow! I really would've expected Vermont to be on the list! All the people who live there are hippies and vegans! *in a good way*
+2
Level 69
Aug 23, 2020
Hey, looks like Vermont’s clean living’s finally paid off – they’re on the list now!
+1
Level 38
Apr 11, 2018
I expected Alaska.
+3
Level 90
Oct 13, 2019
Oddly, the 2nd least fat state is usually just called "Mass".
+2
Level 88
Dec 29, 2019
I wonder why Wyoming cowboys are so much fatter than Colorado ones.
+6
Level 86
Aug 13, 2020
I think the states have quite different cultures.
+3
Level 69
Aug 23, 2020
As someone from Colorado, an hour away from the Wyoming border, you are absolutely right: the two states have very, very different cultures. Colorado is blue/liberal/Democratic, whereas Wyoming is very red/conservative/Republican. Just that fact alone branches out into dozens of reasons how and why health and healthcare are prioritized higher (both personally and institutionally) in Colorado.
+1
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
Most of Colorado (in terms of area) is not liberal. If you drive anywhere outside the Denver/Boulder metro area (plus I-70 corridor, Fort Collins, Durango, etc.), you might as well be in Wyoming, especially if you go east. As a state, it's usually pretty purple and way too big a generalization to say that the cultures of Colorado and Wyoming are "very, very different." Boebert represents the third district, for God's sake.
+4
Level 68
Jun 9, 2020
Proud of my state for being number 1... not that it's surprising. It seems like everyone here is either a mountain biker, climber, or skiier.
+1
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
Or all three
+6
Level 75
Aug 13, 2020
With the latest update, looks like NY is on here twice
+2
Level ∞
Aug 14, 2020
Fixed :)
+2
Level 80
Oct 20, 2020
"The state so nice..."
+1
Level 88
Aug 18, 2020
The concept of BMI is incredibly flawed. While it works generally, it only takes into account body weight, not differentiating between fat and muscle mass. Schwarzenegger is obese by BMI standards, which is ridiculous.
+1
Level 42
Oct 20, 2020
I am shocked that New Jersey was on there but Washington state wasn’t!
+1
Level 72
Oct 20, 2020
Way too many buffets in the red states.
+3
Level 51
Oct 20, 2020
Yeah, what a coincidence that there is only one Red state on the list, and that too, has a democratic governor.
+2
Level 59
Jan 11, 2021
yep
+6
Level ∞
Jan 29, 2023
Worth pointing out that the red states are just ahead of the curve here. Whatever is causing the obesity crisis is affecting all states and countries.

Hawaii is the least obese today, with an obesity rate of "only" 25%. Go back to 1990, and that same 25% would have made Hawaii by far the most obese state.

There is something that we don't understand which is causing people to maintain a higher body weight. Politics has nothing to do with it, except of course to kill any useful examination into the problem.

+1
Level 59
May 4, 2021
this quiz got me 1000 points so yay
+2
Level 66
Jun 24, 2021
Wow. I’am shocked that 23 is the lowest. In the Netherlands It’s only 18.
+2
Level ∞
Jan 29, 2023
Yep, every state has a massive obesity problem. But Europe is only 20 years or so behind the United States. Netherlands today is much fatter than the United States was in 1990.
+3
Level 74
Jan 29, 2023
I'm optimistic that there are some cultural differences, that will keep obesity in Europe below America (regulation, transportation), but the reason for the increase are certainly prominent everywhere.
+4
Level ∞
Jan 29, 2023
If current trends continue, Europe in 20 years will look like America today....

In good news, I think that obesity will actually decline in the western world due to a new class of effective weight loss drugs that are becoming available.

+2
Level 67
Apr 11, 2023
If Ozempic et al are all they are cracked up to be, they will be a miracle
+3
Level 80
Oct 13, 2023
How is that good news? Another band-aid that pharmaceutical companies make a killing from that ignores underlying social and cultural factors seems like pretty depressing news to me.
+4
Level 22
May 13, 2022
Michigan isn't here because of Nikokado Avacado.
+2
Level 62
Feb 27, 2023
I like how it's worded as "least obese", lol. In my country Wales, obesity stands as 57% of the population. AHHH
+1
Level 70
Apr 13, 2023
Missed Colorado and Massachusetts
+1
Level 24
Mar 15, 2024
I thought this quiz was about what states had a small thin land areas 🤦‍♂️
+1
Level 41
Dec 8, 2024
HOW IS HAWAII THE LOWEST!!!!. Polynesians are like the fattest people on earth!!!
+1
Level ∞
Dec 8, 2024
Hawaii is plurality Asian.