Are folks in GA more fit than people in other states? Here’s what new study says

We’re deep into the new year and if your New Year’s resolution was to get fit, you’re not alone.

According to the blog, YouGov: “25% of Americans are attempting to exercise more, 22% aiming to eat healthier and 21% choosing to improve their physical health.”

And where you live matters, because access to gyms, parks, walking trails and more either help or hurt you, similar to the number of fast food joints around.

So, which states have residents who are more fit? And which ones have people who are less fit? Well, the healthcare platform, Nursa, found just that.

The platform ranked each stated based on the following factors:

• Number of gyms per 100k people.
• Adult obesity and smoking rates 
• The percentage of adults who reported sleeping, on average, less than seven hours in a 24-hour period 
• The percentage of adults who reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily 
• Alcohol/ethanol consumption per capita (gallons) (2023) 
• % of residents getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity
• % of residents inactive (outside of work)

The data from the study came from a number of sources including CDC, America’s Health Rankings, World Population Review and more.

If you live in Georgia, you’re probably wondering how folks in the state are doing in terms of health and fitness. Well, here’s how Nursa ranked Georgia on the “fittest states index.”

Is GA one of the most or least fit states?

Overall, Nursa ranked Georgia the 17th most unfit state. White that’s somewhat in the middle, here’s where Georgians did well and similarly, where residents could use some work:

The good: Georgians seem to have good sleeping habits and have low alcohol consumption.

The bad: Georgia residents have a high number of fast food spots per 100k people and an average of only 4.9 gyms per 100k people.

The ugly: 35.40% of Georgians are struggling with adult obesity and only 8.9% of adults reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily. There are also only an average of 4.9 walking or hiking trails per 100k people in the state.

What are the most fit states?

Here are the most fit states:

• Most fit at number 1: Vermont
• Massachusetts
• Washington
• Colorado
• Utah
• Connecticut

Which states are the least fit?

These are the least fit states:

• Least fit: Louisiana 
• Mississippi
• West Virginia
• Alabama
• Nevada
• Tennessee

What do you think about this study? Let me know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com

Chelsea Madden

The Telegraph

Chelsea is a service journalism reporter who began working for McClatchy in 2022. She was born and raised in Middle Georgia and lives in Forsyth. She attended Wesleyan College for undergrad and a few years after that, went to SCAD for an MFA in writing. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to watch Netflix, read books in the thriller genre and chase her toddler around.