When it comes to America's expanding waistlines, some states are carrying a lot more extra weight than others again this year. But a new nationwide study has some surprisingly good news for Minnesota, and you might have to scroll a LONG way down the list to find us.
Minnesota's Ranking Among America's Most Overweight States
It’s not exactly a secret that waistlines have been expanding over the years, both here in Minnesota and across the country. Despite my best efforts, I know mine sure has! Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirm these suspicions.
According to the CDC, being overweight has almost become the new normal, with nearly 40 percent-- about four in ten American adults-- now considered obese. Even kids and teens are seeing higher numbers than ever before.
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But which states top the list of Most Overweight States in America? That's the question the crew over at WalletHub set out to answer. And Minnesota's place on their list this year just might surprise you-- just as it did last year.
To compile their results, WalletHub looked at all 50 states along with the District of Columbia and compared 31 key categories, including the share of the obese and overweight population, to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents, to obesity-related health care costs. And here's what they found:
The 5 Most Overweight States in America in 2026
- 1. West Virginia
- 2. Mississippi
- 3. Arkansas
- 4. Louisiana
- 5. Alabama
The good news is that Minnesota isn't on that list. And the Land of 10,000 Lakes didn't even make the list of the top 10, top 20, or even top 30 most overweight states, either. To find Minnesota's place on the list this year, you have to head all the way down to... number 47.
Minnesota Ranks Among the 5 Least Overweight States
That's right, Minnesota is officially the 47th most overweight state this year. Or, put another way, the North Star State is the fifth-least overweight state! In fact, only Hawaii, Massachusetts, Utah, California, and Colorado are less overweight than we are here in Minnesota. That ranking means we moved up a place from last year, as I wrote about in this 2025 story.
The survey notes that the Gopher State is 44th out of 51 (including the District of Columbia) in the categories of 'Obesity & Overweight Prevalence' and 43rd in 'Health Consequences,' and was ranked 36th out of 51 in the 'Food & Fitness' category. (We might have placed even higher if not for our love of the not-necessarily-healthy tater tot hotdish, am I right?!?)
Overall, the study paints Minnesota as a fairly fit state, especially compared to our neighbors behind the Cheddar Curtain in my home state of Wisconsin, which ranked as the 26th most overweight state. Meanwhile, our neighbors to the south in Iowa ranked 30th on the list this year.
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Gallery Credit: Samm Adams
