WASHINGTON, D.C. - The annual study that ranks U.S. states by obesity of residents puts Minnesota 36th of 50 states.
The "F as in Fat' report, issued by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, says that in 2012, 25.7 percent of Minnesotans meet the medical definition of obese, tied with Alaska.
Wisconsin residents fare worse, with 29.7 percent of residents qualifying as obese. That earns the dairy state a ranking of 15th among U.S. states.
Louisiana residents earn the report's dubious number one ranking with 34.7 percent qualifying as obese. People who live in Colorado are America's fittest, with an obesity ranking of 20.5 percent.
The report, based on data from 2012, says of the top 20 obese states only Pennsylvania is not considered in the midwest or south. The national obesity rate has more than doubled over the past 30 years, and the average American adult is more than 24 pounds heavier than in 1960.
Health experts say people who are obese face a long list of increased health risks from diabetes and arthritis to heart disease and stroke.
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