More than one-third of American adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Binghamton, N.Y., the obesity rate is 37.6 percent, making it the second fattest city in America.
Obesity has become a national epidemic as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says more than one-third of American adults are considered obese.
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index has ranked the 10 fattest cities in the U.S., MSNBC reports, in an effort to show which metropolitan areas are most affected by the health implications and costs.
The fattest metropolitan area in America is McAllen-Edinburg-Mission in southern Texas, which a frightening obesity rate of 38.8 percent and annual obesity-related costs of $410.9 million.
No. 2 on the list of America's most overweight cities is Binghamton, N.Y. with an obesity rate of 37.6 percent . The Southern Tier city sees related costs of $131.5 million, while 27.8 percent of residents living below the poverty level according to MSNBC.
No other cities in New York made the top 10 list as the state's overall obesity rate is just below 24 percent. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index results were based on telephone interviews throughout 2011, with a random sampling of 353,492 adults living in the U.S.
According to the Daily Mail, to be considered obese, a person has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. The extra weight typically leads to other health issues, contributing to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
MSNBC adds that people living in cities with higher obesity levels were 58 percent more likely to have a heart attack in their lifetime, and 34 percent were more likely to report having high blood pressure.
The CDC says there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. In 2010, no state had an obesity rate of less than 20 percent, while 12 states -- mostly in the south -- had overall rates of more than 30 percent.
Health care costs associated with obesity are estimated at $147 billion a year nationwide. In 2010, the U.S. government announced plans to fight child obesity and reduce the adult rate to 15 percent, which would save places like McAllen-Edinburg-Mission as much as $252 million a year.
On the bright side, rates have stabilized over the past decade. "There has been no change in obesity prevalence in recent years," the CDC's Heidi Blanck said. "However, over the last decade there has been a significant increase in obesity prevalence among men and boys, but not among women and girls overall."
One big cause of obesity is a lack of exercise. Last year, the laziest counties in New York were found to be Cortland and St. Lawrence. In Broome County, where Binghamton is located, only 25 percent of residents were considered active.
In 2010, Men's Health released their own list of America's fattest cities, but Binghamton didn't make the top 100. However, Buffalo did get ranked 14th and Rochester came in at No. 73. The magazine's list was based on city statistics of obesity, diabetes, behavioral risk factors (i.e. couch potatoes), money spent on junk food and how many people ate fast food at least nine times a month.
1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
2. Binghamton, New York
3. Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio
4. Rockford, Illinois
5. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
6. Charleston, West Virginia
7. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida
8. Topeka, Kansas
9. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Washington
10. Reading, Pennsylvania