FOX9 Minneapolis — News
04/11/2026 23:23

How overweight is Minnesota compared to the rest of the US?

Published November 4, 2026 8:23 PM CST

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ILLUSTRATION - 19 January 2026, Berlin: A young woman's bare feet stand on a digital bathroom scale. Photo: Elisa Schu/dpa (Photo by Elisa Schu/picture alliance via Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Fox 9) - Managing your weight is something people all over the world deal with every day. A new study set out to find which states were struggling a bit more than others.

Midwest states that are the most obese

The backstory:

The study, done by WalletHub, found that more than seven in 10 U.S. adults ages 20 and older are overweight or obese. The report said rates are lower for children and adolescents, but they have risen dramatically in the past few decades.

To find which states were struggling with obesity the most, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 metrics tied to obesity, health effects and access to food and fitness and ranked them from most to least overweight.

By the numbers:

In terms of the Midwest, Ohio ranked as the most obese Midwest state, finishing 15th overall on the list. Just behind them on the list were North Dakota at No. 16, Michigan at No. 17 and Indiana at No. 18.

Ranking as the least overweight state in the Midwest was Minnesota, which finished at No. 47 on the list thanks in part to ranking low in several categories, including the percentage of obese children in the state, the percentage of physically inactive adults, and the percentage of adults with high cholesterol.

Check out where each Midwest state ranked on the list of the most overweight states right here:

  • 15. Ohio
  • 16. North Dakota
  • 17. Michigan
  • 18. Indiana
  • 26. Wisconsin
  • 30. Iowa
  • 32. Illinois
  • 33. South Dakota
  • 47. Minnesota

Dig deeper:

Food and eating habits are a major factor when it comes to a person's weight, and every person has that one guilty pleasure they can't resist. In the study, WalletHub also determined what each state's favorite comfort food was.

Check out which food each Midwest state loved the most:

  • Illinois — Deep-Dish Pizza (329 calories per serving)
  • Indiana — Sugar Cream Pie (400 calories per serving)
  • Iowa — Loose-Meat Sandwiches (278 calories per serving)
  • Michigan — Pasties (768 calories per serving)
  • Minnesota — Tater Tot Hot Dish (410 calories per serving)
  • North Dakota — Kuchen (400 calories per serving)
  • Ohio — Buckeyes (362 calories per serving)
  • South Dakota — Chislic (206 calories per serving)
  • Wisconsin — Fried Cheese Curds (1190 calories per serving)

Rest of the country

Big picture view:

As for the rest of the U.S., West Virginia ranked as the most obese state in the country. Not far behind were many states found in the southern part of the U.S. with Mississippi ranking second, followed by Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama to round out the top five.

Here's the top 10 most obese states in the country, according to WalletHub:

  • 1. West Virginia
  • 2. Mississippi
  • 3. Arkansas
  • 4. Louisiana
  • 5. Alabama
  • 6. Tennessee
  • 7. Kentucky
  • 8. Maine
  • 9. Delaware
  • 10. Texas

On the other end of the list, Colorado ranked as the least overweight state in the country, followed by Utah, Massachusetts and Hawaii.

The Source: Information for this story was found in a study done by WalletHub.

LifestyleNewsMinnesota
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