GA among most overweight states in 2025, new data shows. Here’s where it ranks & why
More than 40% of Americans are classified as obese, says the Centers for Disease Control with the prevalence of severe obesity at almost 10%, but the issue can vary by region and is dependent on many factors.
The financial website Wallethub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia to rank the most overweight and obese states across the nation.
Georgia ranks as the 17th most overweight and obese state.
Definition of “obese” and “overweight”
The term “fat” is a relative concept and is loaded with a lot of implications that can mean different things depending on whether it is being defined by medical measures, broader assessments of the body or by societal and personal perceptions of body size.
The classifications of “obese” and “overweight” are health-related designations that depend on Body Mass Index.
Overweight:
- A condition of excessive fat deposits
- BMI greater than to equal to 25
Obesity:
- Classified as a chronic, relapsing disease arising from complex interactions between many factors.
- BMI greater or equal to 30
Contributing reasons
- Imbalance of diet and physical actively
- Environmental factors
- Psycho-social factors
- Genetic variants
Georgia ranks 17th
Millions of Georgia residents live with obesity, putting it in the top third nationwide for weight-related health risks.
The data
- 61 out of 100 on WalletHub’s scale.
- 3.7 million adults live with obesity
- 33% have a BMI of 30 or higher
- 20 - 30% of children are classified as overweight or obese
How the states are ranked
WalletHub compared all 50 states and D.C. using more than 30 data points. Each state receives a weighted score on a 100-point scale, which determines its overall rank from most to least overweight and obese.
Categories
- Obesity and overweight rates
- Obesity-related health complications
- Access to healthy food and fitness options.
- Physical inactivity
- Data on conditions such as diabetes and hypertension
Other factors considered
- Access to parks and recreation
- Availability of healthy food
- Costs tied to weight-related health care.
Top 10 most overweight and obese states
The latest report shows that the highest rates of overweight and obesity are concentrated in the South and parts of Appalachia.
- 1 - West Virginia
- 2 - Mississippi
- 3 - Arkansas
- 4 - Louisiana
- 5 - Alabama
- 6 - Tennessee
- 7 - Kentucky
- 8 - Texas
- 9 - Delaware
- 10 - Oklahoma
These kinds of reports are useful for spotting broad trends, but they rely on blunt tools and averages. It is important to interpret them with care and not use them as a reason to be overly hard on yourself or others.
Do you have questions or suggestions about topics to cover? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "GA among most overweight states in 2025, new data shows. Here’s where it ranks & why."