NATIONAL STUDIES: WV MOST OBESE STATE IN USA - Watches More TV Than Any State, Highest Number Diabetics

(11/13/2021)

Two recent studies showed concerning results about West Virginians’ health. In the past week, Wallethub has ranked West Virginia as the most overweight and obese state in America, and Verizon has determined that West Virginias watch more TV than any other state. According to the Wallethub ranking, West Virginia is the most overweight and obese state overall, and also has the highest percentage of overweight children, the second-highest percentage of obese adults, the second-highest percentage of adults with high cholesterol and the highest percentage of adults with type 2 diabetes. Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky were the next most overweight states at 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Colorado, Utah and the District of Columbia were the least overweight states and had the least weight-related health consequences. Physical Activity Council reported that 74.3 million Americans over age five were completely inactive in 2020. Currently, the U.S. weight loss and diet control market is worth at least $62 billion, and obesity costs the U.S. health care system an estimated $147 billion per year. While there are several factors that can affect weight, the number one leading cause of obesity is lack of physical activity. Therefore, it should not be surprising that West Virginia also watches more TV than any other state. According to a post by Verizon, West Virginians watch an average of almost four hours of TV every day, 3 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds to be exact. While four hours might seem like a long time to watch TV every day, it was actually a 74% decrease in watch time from 2019. Other states that have high obesity rates were also ranked near the top for highest TV watch time; Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky were all in the top eight for most time watching TV. States that watch the least TV were Alaska, Utah, New Mexico and the District of Columbia. The study also revealed that West Virginians watch Cartoons more than anything else.

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