How Did This City in Iowa Become the Most Obese in the Entire State?

The Hawkeye State is known for many things: The Field of Dreams, the best corn in the world, the first in the nation caucuses, and, unfortunately, one of the higher rates of obesity in the entire country.

According to 24/7 Wall Street, around 34% of all Iowans are considered obese, about 2% above the national average. But one city in the western part of the state far exceeds any other community in Iowa, and it has some wondering how it's gotten so bad.

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Where is the Most Obese Town in All of Iowa?

That's right, Iowa's fourth largest city, Sioux City has the highest obesity rate in the state. According to 24/7 Tempo, here are a few of the statistics to back it up:

> Adults who are obese: 39.2% (state: 34.3%)
> Adults with diabetes: 10.5% (state: 9.0%)
> Adults who don’t exercise: 31.4% (state: 26.1%)
> Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.2% (state: 13.6%)
> Adults who get <7 hours of sleep a night: 31.6% (state: 33.1%)
> Median household income: $61,399 (state: $61,836)

-247 Tempo Website

As for its neighbors, here's what it looks like:

• Minnesota: St. Cloud (34.7% Obese)
• Illinois: Danville (39.1% Obese)
• South Dakota: Sioux Falls (33.3% Obese)
• Wisconsin: Sheboygan (37% Obese)
• Missouri: Joplin (37.8% Obese)
• Nebraska: Grand Island (40.2% Obese)

As you can see, a number of these communities exceed the obesity rate in Sioux City, Iowa, proving that this is a systemic issue, nationwide.

Source: 247 Tempo Website, 24/7 Wall Street Website