Boulder only city in U.S. under 15 percent in obesity rates

Not surprising, Boulder ranks as the city least plagued by obesity, according to recent research by Gallup.

Two other Colorado cities — Denver and Fort Collins — ranked in the top 10.

West Virginia apparently is the most obese state; Huntington was the most obese city and two others in the state, Charlestown and Martinsburg, made the top 10.

According to the Gallup research, adult obesity rates are above 15 percent in all but one (Boulder) of the 189 metro areas that Gallup and Healthways surveyed in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 program had a goal of reducing obesity to 15 percent in each state. No state and only one U.S. metro area has achieved this goal.

The top 10 least obese cities were Boulder (12.4 percent obesity rate); Naples, Fla. (16.5); Fort Collins (18.2); Charlottesville, Va. (18.2); Bellingham, Wash. (18.7); San Diego (19.3); Denver (19.3); San Jose (19.5); Bridgeport, Conn. (19.6); and Barnstable Town, Mass. (19.6).

Among the most obese cities: Huntington (39.5); McAllen, Texas (38.3); Hagerstown, Md. (36.7); Yakima, Wash. (35.7); Little Rock, Ark., (35.1); Charlestown (34.6); Clarksville, Tenn. (33.8), Jackson, Miss. (33.8); Green Bay (33.0); and Rockford, Ill. (33).

Read more at www.usat.ly/1jREVSH.