States with the highest obesity rates

"The increase in illness and hospitalizations drives up health care costs both for individuals and for health systems. Health care costs are highest in states with the highest rates of obesity. Louisiana, which has the second highest obesity rate, also has the highest annual health care costs in the nation. By contrast, Colorado has the lowest obesity rate and lowest health care costs of all states.

Ultimately, a lifetime of obesity can lead to a premature death. According to aNational Institutes of Health study, participants with a BMI of 40-44.9 — an extreme level of obesity — lost 6.5 years of life. At BMI levels of 55-59.9, the years of life lost more than doubled to 13.7."