Do You Live in One of the 10 Most Obese Cities in the Country?
The results are in from the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey, which tracks national obesity levels. The 10 most obese cities in the U.S., by percentage, are:
- Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia (39.5%)
- McAllen, Texas (38.3%)
- Hagerstown, Maryland (36.7%)
- Yakima, Washington (35.7%)
- Little Rock, Arkansas (35.1%)
- Charlestown, West Virginia (34.6%)
- Toledo, Ohio (34.2%)
- Clarksville, Tennessee (33.8%)
- Jackson, Mississippi (33.8%)
- Green Bay, Wisconsin (33%)
On the opposite end of the spectrum, winning the title of Least Obese City is Boulder, Colorado. Boulder also appears on another list: PETA’s ranking of the Most Vegan-Friendly Cities in the U.S. Coincidence? Doubtful.
So PETA is heading to Texas, where everything is bigger, with a message that could help McAllen residents get smaller. We’re placing this attention-getting billboard in McAllen to remind people that while meat and dairy products are high in calories, fat, and cholesterol, healthy fruits and veggies can help them maintain a healthy weight:
PETA’s “Dairy-Free Damsels” will be on hand to pass out free “cheesy” vegan snacks to make it easy for Texans to, as the ad suggests, “try vegan.”
Adult vegans are an average of 10 to 20 pounds thinner than their meat-eating counterparts. They also enjoy significantly lower rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. If McAllen takes our heart-healthy message to, well, heart, the city could soon be rubbing shoulders with Boulder.
