It’s no secret that the United States suffers from obesity. But according to one website, it’s less of a problem here than in other areas of the nation.
In a recent study by the website WalletHub, Boston was ranked near the bottom of the pack when it comes to the most obese cities and regions in the nation.
WalletHub’s list of the 2016 Fattest Cities in America noted that the United States is ranked last on a global scale in obesity rates, with more than 30 percent of adults and nearly 17 percent of Americans suffering from obesity in some form.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton region, however, ranked 95 among 100 qualifying regions (the three cities were grouped together for the purposes of the report).
The Boston region was ranked based on "Fat Prevalence," "Weight-Related Health Problems," and "Healthy Environment (or lack thereof)." Based on those three factors, Boston was 93rd, 94th, and 79th, respectively, in those categories.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Springfield ranked 64th and Worcester ranked 65th. In Rhode Island, Providence was 58th. In New Hampshire, Manchester came in 62nd.
The top-ranked city for obesity was Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis ranked 14th in fat prevalance, second in weight-related health problems, and fifth in lack of a healthy environment.
Rounding out the top five were Shreveport, Louisiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Joining Boston among the healthiest cities included Sacramento, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Boise, Idaho; Reno, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii, which claimed the mantle of least obese city.
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