Massachusetts Takes 48th in the Fattest States in America Ranking

 
In September, the State of Obesity report declared Massachusetts the fourth-least obese state in the nation. Now, a new study—delicately named the Fattest States in America report—says the Commonwealth also took the fourth-to-last spot in that ranking.

Though ranking fattest versus most obese states may seem like mere semantics, the Fattest States research, done by WalletHub, looked at a variety of factors that influence health, from obesity prevalence to sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, to determine its findings. Mississippi topped the list, while Hawaii came in last—or first, depending on your perspective.

The Commonwealth scored fairly well in most of WalletHub’s 12 categories: We were 42nd in the percentage of overweight adults category, 46th in percentage of adults eating less than one serving of fruits or vegetables per day, and 41st in both percentage of residents with high blood pressure and deaths from obesity.

Our worst categories? Percentage of residents with diabetes (28th), percentage of children who are obese (25th), and percentage of residents with high cholesterol (23rd). The childhood obesity statistic is somewhat surprising, given that Eastern Massachusetts was recognized for its anti-childhood obesity tactics as recently as 2013.

While it’s great to have health bragging rights, consider this: Research has shown that 23 percent of adult Massachusetts residents are still considered obese, despite our low ranking. In other words, it may be too soon to celebrate just yet.