Fattest States: Where Does Illinois Rank?

Illinois: The Land of Lincoln, and also the land of delicious but not-so-healthy local favorites like deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef. With so many calorie-laden treats — and a climate that leaves most of us indoors and bundled up for much of the year — you might think Illinois ranks high on the list of America's "fattest states."

But according to WalletHub, a website "dedicated to helping people efficiently attain top WalletFitness™ so they may enjoy life instead of worrying about money," the Prairie State isn't even in the top half of states where obesity is most prevalent.

To find out where obesity and weight-related health problems are the most common, WalletHub says it looked at 19 key metrics in the 50 states and District of Columbia."Our data set ranges from share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs," the site said.

RELATED: How To Sign Up For Obamacare In Illinois

According to new report by the Physical Activity Council, nearly 81.5 million Americans aged 6 and older were completely inactive in 2016. "Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of obesity, in addition to genetics, emotional instability and sleeplessness," according to WalletHub. And according to the Campaign to End Obesity, the United States spends $200 billion on health care each year for obesity-related health problems.

How does Illinois rate? According to WalletHub, it's the 32nd "fattest" state. The fittest state, according to the list, is Colorado, with Mississippi weighing in as the state where obesity is most prevalent.

The study lists these as the 10 "fattest" U.S. states:

1. Mississippi
2. West Virginia
3. Tennessee
4. Arkansas
5. Louisiana
6. Kentucky
7. Alabama
8. Oklahoma
9. South Carolina
10. Indiana

Find the full report and 2017 state rankings on WalletHub.

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