Lafayette, Louisiana’s Top Ten Obese Designation Isn’t Something to Celebrate

It was back in 2014 when Lafayette, Louisiana was named the happiest city in the country, and that really came as no surprise to the people that live here.

People in our area are happy people who choose to enjoy our natural surroundings, our culture of being friendly to everyone, and the blending of our various backgrounds that strengthen us as a community.

It was in that same year, that the University of Louisiana Lafayette was named number 1 for Best College Town when it comes to our weekends and what the city offers to university students.

This is not a shock to anyone who lives here either. Lafayette and our surrounding areas offer a great attitude, food, and entertainment.

Lafayette is not a Utopian society though; we have issues just like any other town in the nation.

We have a great life here, no doubt about it; and, we love to eat

A recent study from WalletHub looked at issues with obesity. They conducted a study entitled, "Most Overweight and Obese Cities in the U.S.", and Lafayette made the list, coming in at number 8.

One of the biggest issues is how much obesity is costing our healthcare industry. Obesity has a 200 million impact on the cost of healthcare in our country, not to mention all the diseases we are susceptible to because we are overweight.

How Does WalletHub Decide Which Cities Are the Fattest?

The company evaluated several dozen metrics to come to their conclusions. They are as follows:

Obesity & Overweight – Total Points: 60

• Share of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~13.33 Points)
• Share of Obese Adults: Full Weight (~13.33 Points)
• Share of Overweight Teenagers*: Half Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: “Teenagers” includes 9th through 12th grade students.
• Share of Obese Teenagers*: Half Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: “Teenagers” includes 9th through 12th grade students.
• Share of Overweight Children*: Half Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: “Children” includes persons ages 10 to 17.
• Share of Obese Children*: Half Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: “Children” includes persons ages 10 to 17.
• Projected Obesity Rates by 2030*: Half Weight (~6.67 Points)

Health Consequences – Total Points: 25

• Share of Adults with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Share of Diabetic Adults: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Share of Adults with High Blood Pressure: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Heart-Disease Rate: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Obesity-Related Death Rate*: Half Weight (~2.78 Points)

Food & Fitness – Total Points: 15

• Share of Adults with Low Fruit/Vegetable Consumption: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the share of adults who consume fruit and vegetables less than one time per day.
• Share of Residents Who Say They Eat Healthy: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
• Limited Access to Healthy Food: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of urban-area residents who earn a low income and live more than 1 mile from a grocery store or supermarket.
• Share of Physically Inactive Adults: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
• City Friendliness toward an Active Lifestyle: Quadruple Weight (~6.00 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on data from WalletHub’s "Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle" ranking.
• Access to Parks & Recreational Facilities: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of individuals who live reasonably close to a location for physical activity - parks or recreational facilities.
• Number of Health Educators and Community Health Workers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.50 Points)
  Note: Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities.

We rank number 8 overall, but there are also other areas where the ranking goes up, which is not good.

Lafayette Ranks 3rd in Number of Adults with High Blood Pressure

According to the statistics gathered by WalletHub, Louisiana ranks 3rd in the country when it comes to the percentage of adults who have high blood pressure.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 40% of people in Louisiana report they have been told by their medical professional that they have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a serious health condition because it can lead to a variety of serious health issues including, but not limited to:

• Death
• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Kidney Disease
• Dementia
• Later Disability
• Aneurysm

In Lafayette, We Don't Consume Enough Fruits and Vegetables

In the overall rankings, the city of Lafayette's population came in 2nd when it comes to the low amount of fruits and vegetables consumed.

We do not do a good job of incorporating the five servings each of fruits and four to eight servings of vegetables that the government says we need for a full and balanced diet focused on nutrition.

Lafayette Ranks 7th in the Percentage of Adults Who Are Obese

Out of the metropolitan areas in America, unfortunately, Lafayette, Louisiana ranks in the 7th position in the percentage of adults who are obese.

Obesity is defined by the Mayo Clinic as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher. In order to calculate your BMI, the Mayo Clinic says you have to do this formula, "multiply weight in pounds by 703, divide by height in inches, and then divide again by height in inches.

You can click here for a calculator if you don't want to do the math yourself.

Lafayette Ranks 7th When It Comes to Being Physically Inactive

As adults, people in the city of Lafayette are apparently 7th in the nation when it comes to physical inactivity.

Studies for years have shown that sitting all day long is detrimental to our health. We can actually shave years off of our lives by not getting up and moving.

Exercise isn't just about losing weight. There are multiple benefits when you start and maintain a regular exercise routine. Even ten minutes a day can help you.

You can click here to find out more about the story we did about how even five minutes of exercise can change your life.

Lafayette Ranks 50th When It Comes to High Cholesterol

According to all the data compiled by WalletHub Lafayette residents come in 50th when it comes to the percentage of adults who have high cholesterol.

Having high cholesterol can contribute to all types of unpleasant things according to WebMD like heart attack and stroke which both can take your life.

WebMD does offer some suggestions on what you can do to lower your cholesterol fast. You can guess that of the eleven quick suggestions, one is to quit smoking. The number one disease that kills the most people in Louisiana is heart disease, and smoking, as we know, leads to heart disease.

One of the eleven ideas I think we can all embrace from the WebMD article is to laugh more!

Lafayette's in the Middle When It Comes to Diabetes

We aren't in the top ten in the list for the number of people who have Diabetes in Louisiana, but we aren't at the bottom either.

Louisiana ranks 26th in the number of people with Diabetes. The Cleveland Clinic has a very simple article about how Diabetes is related to obesity.

Unfortunately, the ranking of 26th isn't great, and the CDC reports that Diabetes is the 8th largest killer in our state.

So, these are the facts. Lafayette is the 7th fattest city. We would like to know what you think of this. Feel free to email us with your thoughts and tell us what you're thinking via social media.