10 States Where Obesity Rates Are Skyrocketing

Obesity is common, serious and costly. Obesity rates have been increasing for the past 25 years. Before 1985 obesity statistics weren’t available because obesity wasn’t a problem. Now it’s turning into a pandemic.

The nation as a whole is seeing an upward trend in obesity. But in a few states, like Alaska and Oregon, the obesity rate is actually declining. And the move is nothing to laugh at; some are registered a decline by more than 3 percentage points during the 2008-2009 recession.

Insider Monkey, your source for free insider trading data, ranked 50 states based on the percentage increase in obesity rates.

Here are the top 10 states where obesity rates are alarmingly skyrocketing:

10. Tennessee: The obesity rate increased by 1.6 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

100,000 people became obese in Tennessee in that time.

9. Mississippi: The obesity rate increased by 1.8 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

52,000 people became obese in Mississippi in that time.

8. Missouri: The obesity rate increased by 1.8 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

105,000 people became obese in Missouri in that time.

7. Indiana: The obesity rate increased by 2.1 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

132,000 people became obese in Indiana in that time.

6. Louisiana: The obesity rate increased by 2.3 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

101,000 people became obese in Louisiana in that time.

5. South Dakota: The obesity rate increased by 2.4 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

19,000 people became obese in South Dakota in that time.

4. Oklahoma: The obesity rate increased by 2.6 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

93,000 people became obese in Oklahoma in that time.

3. Kentucky: The obesity rate increased by 2.8 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

119,000 people became obese in Kentucky in that time.

2. Rhode Island: The obesity rate increased by 2.9 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

29,000 people became obese in Rhode Island in that time.

1. Wisconsin: The obesity rate increased by 3.4 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

188,000 people became obese in Wisconsin in that time.