Louisiana Ranks Among Most Obese States, According to New Study

According to a new national study, Louisiana ranks as the sixth most obese state.

The report comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and it states that 36.2% of Louisianians are obese.

The study also broke down obesity rates among age groups and demographics.

In the Bayou State, the obesity rates by age range look as follows:

• 21% of people ages 18 to 24 have obesity
• 36.5% of people ages 25 to 44
• 42.9% of people ages 45 to 64
• 34.2% of people 65 or older

Also in Louisiana, 42.6% of black people are obese, 32.3% of Latino residents are too and 33.4% of white people.

Other findings of the study include:

• 13.2% of low-income children in Louisiana ages 2 to 4 have obesity
• 19.2% of children ages 10 to 17 in Louisiana have obesity
• 17% of Louisiana high school students have obesity

The states with the highest obesity rates are (in order): West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alaska and South Carolina.