50 of the fattest cities in the U.S. ranked

Obesity is a huge problem in America. Statistically, Americans are among the fattest people in the world, with approximately 40% of adults tipping the scales into the danger zone.

Unfortunately, this problem is perpetuated with cheap grocery items and fast-food restaurants that do nothing to provide a more balanced and healthy diet. And some places in the U.S. are worse than others when it comes to an overweight population.

Here is a list of 50 of the fattest cities in the United States.

1. McAllen, Texas

McAllen has made the number one spot for several years now. Although I did find a blog post entitled 4 Places to Eat Healthier in McAllen, so maybe they’re trying.

2. Shreveport, Louisiana

It’s not only known for food. Shreveport boasts historical museums, riverboat casinos, plus a rich arts community.

3. Memphis, TN

Famous for influential for blues music, soul, and rock and roll. Think Elvis and B.B. King. They are also known as some of the fattest people in America.

4. Jackson, MS

This city is the capital of Mississippi. It has a trail that runs statewide. Given the fact the city made this list, I guess a whole lot of people aren’t into hiking.

5. Knoxville, TN

This city if full of 19th century shops and restaurants. You wouldn’t think those restaurants are helping to rise to the obesity problem there.

6. Tulsa, OK

If you are into art deco architecture, this is the place to be. Unfortunately, this is also one of America’s fattest cities.

Public Domain Pictures
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Public Domain Pictures

7. Mobile, AL

Situated on the golf coast, you can see a WWll era battleship anchored there. You can also find all sorts of places that help to make this city what it is on the weight scale.

8. Nashville, TN

The capital of Tennessee and home of legendary music venues. Famous for country music and fattening food.

9. Columbia, SC

The capital of South Carolina. It’s known for a big park that includes animal enclosures and a museum of art.

10. Lafayette, LA

You can see folk art at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum. There’s also a recreation of 9th-century settler life at LARC’s Acadian Village.

11. Baton Rouge, LA

Situated on the Mississippi River, this is the capital of Louisiana. Visit the French Creole house or the USS Kidd which is a retired WWII destroyer that has been turned into a museum.

12. New Orleans, LA

Located on the Mississippi River, this is the Big Easy. It’s renown for it’s nightlife, and the carnival of Mardi Gras.

13. Oklahoma City, OK

The capital of Oklahoma is famous for its cowboy culture. And yet how often do you see overweight cowboys? I guess they exist.

14. Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga is situated at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, It’s know for some gorgeous scenery including Lookout Mountain, the Ruby Falls waterfall, and Rock City.

15. Little Rock, AR

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas. You can visit the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, where you can find a replica of the Oval Office and other presidential artifacts.

16. Augusta, GA

Home of James Brown, Augusta is near the South Carolina border. They have a museum dedicated to the art of the American South, and the Augusta Riverwalk which it seems residents need to use more frequently.

17. Myrtle Beach, SC

Famous for its 60 miles of beaches, this is one of the spring break destinations. With all those beaches and people in bathing suits, you’d think this would be a city full of people obsessing about their body image.

18. Louisville, KY

A city that brings horse racing to mind. It the home of Churchill Downs which hosts the Kentucky Derby. It’s also famous for the Louisville Slugger Museum.

19. Greenville, SC

This is the home of the Greenville County Museum of Art, which exhibits centuries worth of Southern artists. Also home to Falls Park which offers riverside gardens, a suspension bridge and waterfall views.

20. Toledo, OH

On the western tip of Lake Erie, this is the home of the Toledo Museum of Art, which has a significant collection of modern and Renaissance art. For those interested in glass works there is the Glass Pavilion.

21. San Antonio, TX

San Antonio is full of rich colonial history, and I guess rich food. This is where The Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission well known for its 1836 battle.

22. Canton, OH

Where the Pro Football Hall of Fame is. Also the final resting place of the 25th American president and the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.

23. Lexington KY

Lexington is horse country, with famous racetracks such as Keeneland. For those interested in all things horse there is also the Kentucky Horse Park with its International Museum of the Horse.

24. Birmingham, AL

Not only is Birmingham one of the fattest cities in Alabama, it’s also the largest in terms of population. This city is also known for being the founding city to recognize Veterans Day.

25. Winston-Salem, NC

You can find the tallest building in the region here, Wells Fargo Center. Due to the city’s dual heritage, it is also known as the Twin City.

26. Charleston, SC

Founded in 1670, this city is famous for its horse-drawn carriages on cobblestone streets, and its pastel antebellum houses. The French Quarter and Battery districts and notable spots.

27. Houston, TX

Extending out to Galveston Bay, this city brings to mind the Space Center Houston, the visitor center at NASA’s astronaut training and flight control complex. Also known for its Theater District and restaurants.

28. Dallas, TX

This is the cultural and commercial hub of north Texas. For those interested in American history you can find the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza where the assignation of John F. Kennedy is commemorated.

29. Detroit, MI

It seems Motor City is also fat city. This city has huge ties to the auto industry, and is also the birthplace of Motown Records.

30. Wichita, KS

Situated in in south-central Kansas, this city loves history. Look for Exploration Place, Kansas in Miniature, and the Old Cowtown Museum.

31. El Paso, TX

The county seat of El Paso County, this city is found in the far western part of Texas. This is the place people came to watch the 1911 Mexican Revolution just across the Juarez border.

32. Greensboro, NC

This city is the host of the Greensboro Science Center. Its International Civil Rights Center & Museum portrays video re-enactments and interactive exhibits of the civil rights struggle.

33. Riverside, CA

This city isn’t far from Los Angeles. It’s home to the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, the March Field Air Museum and the Riverside Art Museum.

34. Fayetteville, AR

Home of the Clinton House Museum, which was the first home of Bill and Hillary Clinton. You can also find the Arkansas Air and Military Museum which has a display of vintage and modern airplanes.

35. Huntsville, AL

Founded in 1805, the city is in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama. Also known as Rocket City, it’s where you can find the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command.

36. Dayton, OH

Dayton is where you will find the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The have on display a collection of aircraft that ranges from early 1900s planes to a space shuttle exhibit.

Good Free Photos
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Good Free Photos

37. Kansas City, MO

Into Jazz? Kansas has a rich jazz heritage with its American Jazz Museum. It’s also well known for its barbeque. Maybe that’s a factor in its Fattest City rank?

38. Fort Wayne, IN

For those who love gardening, Fort Wayne is home to the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art focuses its display on American paintings and sculpture.

39. Des Moines, IA

This city is known nationally for the Iowa Caucus—part of the Democratic pre-election process. It’s also known for the World Food Prize!

40. Indianapolis, IN

Also know as Indy this city hosts the world-renowned Indy 500 motor race each May. The state itself is also famous for its breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, while Indy is famous for its shrimp cocktail.

41. Charlotte, NC

Uptown Charlotte has the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and is also home to the Levine Museum of the New South. There’s also Discovery Place, where you can find interactive science displays.

42. Youngstown, OH

This is the center of steel production. Thanks to that it’s often referred to as the Rust Belt.

43. Providence, RI

This is the capital city of Rhode Island. The city is home to Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, where you can find displays American art and silver.

44. Grand Rapids, MI

The city is located on the Grand River, east of Lake Michigan. For gardening lovers you can find the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which features a tropical conservatory and multiple gardens.

45. Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville is rich in museums and cultural attractions. The nearby barrier island beaches also make it popular to surfers.

46. Virginia Beach, VA

This is a coastal city in southeastern Virginia. It’s know for its 3-mile boardwalk and the First Landing State Park, where the arrival of the Jamestown colonists from England in 1607 is marked.

47. Scranton, PA

The city is located in northeast Pennsylvania. It is well known for the Steamtown National Historic Site, featuring century-old locomotives set up in a former rail yard.

48. Richmond, VA

This is the capital city of Virginia. It’s also one of America’s oldest major cities. It is the site where Patrick Henry, a U.S. Founding Father, declared “Give me liberty or give me death.”

49. Columbus, Ohio

This is the states capital. It’s also the biggest city in the state. I mean population wise, not fat wise.

50. Asheville, NC

Also known for plenty of historic architecture and diverse art scene. This city has museums artwork of the masters.

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