The 8 Most Obese Cities in America ... And What They Love to Eat

Obesity in America...America is a country full of fat people. From sea to shining sea, we dine on fast food, pre-prepared foods from the grocery store and processed foods. We love sweet things, rich things, salty things, creamy things. (Or, preferably one giant obesity cake that includes all of those flavors, thank you very much.) But in what areas do the fattest people in our country live?

According to Prevention magazine, "These urban centers have the highest rates of heart disease and obesity in the country, perhaps because they seem to promote sedentary lifestyles and diets heavy on fast food but light on fresh produce." Is your city on the list? You might be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised …


Louisville, KY
#8: Louisville, Kentucky
Get ready to be grossed out: "Louisville contains more McDonald's outposts per capita (39) than any city in the country, according to a Daily Beast/Newsweek report, plus 20 Arby's, 17 Dairy Queens and 19 Papa John's," according to Prevention. But what food are they really famous for?
Find out what they love to eat

Related: 10 celebs who ditched traditional medicine


Tulsa, OK
#7: Tulsa, Oklahoma
"Only 6% of Tulsa residents live in a neighborhood with a walk score of 70 or above (100 being best), and 57% live in entirely car-dependent locales," Prevention reports. So what do Tulsa folks like to eat best?
Find out what they love to eat


Baton Rouge, LA
#6: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The "Creole and Cajun cuisines Baton Rouge is known for contain lots of ... fat, probably one reason the residents' arteries are in danger," notes Prevention. Another favorite fatty food in Baton Rouge?
Find out what they love to eat

Related: 8 unexpected benefits of exercise

Dallas, TX
#5: Dallas, Texas
Prevention says, "Despite its big city status, only 7% of Dallas residents' trips are taken by foot or bike, according to the Alliance for Biking and Walking." That's one reason why Dallas residents are unhealthy. Another?
Find out what they love to eat


New Orleans, LA
#4: New Orleans, Louisiana
Thanks to the "city's general celebration of self-indulgence ... it's not hard to imagine why New Orleans denizens are more likely to be obese than those of many other cities," Prevention reports.
Find out what they love to eat


Lubbock, TX
#3: Lubbock, Texas
According to Prevention, "32% of Lubbock residents are obese, in no small part due to the preponderance of artery-clogging ..." What?
Find out what they love to eat

Related: 10 brain foods to help prevent memory loss

Fort Wayne, IN
#2: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne residents are fat, but happy. "On a scale of 'city optimism' it comes in six points above the national average," Prevention reports. So what are they eating that keeps them so jolly?
Find out what they love to eat


Detroit, MI
#1: Detroit, Michigan
According to Prevention, "Detroit residents report more heart disease diagnoses than any other big city in the nation ... and 33% of them are obese." Why?
Find out what they love to eat

Some cities I thought for sure would be on this list are Buffalo, NY (known for its chicken wings and epidemic of strokes) and Chicago, IL (known for Chicago hot dogs and deep dish pizza). I'm not surprised there are no West Coast cities on this list. Enjoy your salads, Cali!

Visit Prevention's expose on "The 8 Most Artery-clogging Cities in America" for more info about each of these cities and what you can do to change your lifestyle if this info sounded all too familiar. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish this Domino's pizza I ordered for dinner. Chow!

- By Carolyn Castiglia

For 7 ways to give your kids healthy attitudes about eating, visit Babble!

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