Connecticut Cities Rank Lower for Obesity in New National Study

According to a new study from Wallet Hub, Connecticut isn't exactly setting the standard when it comes to weight-related health issues. Three Connecticut metro areas made the list of the 100 most populated metro areas in the country, and all three landed in the bottom 30.

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WalletHub looked at 100 U.S. metro areas and compared them using 19 different measurements related to overweight and obesity. The study considered things like physical inactivity, health consequences, access to healthy food and fitness opportunities, and projected obesity rates.

Hartford was actually the highest-ranked Connecticut city, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're bragging about it. Hartford came in at No. 70 overall. It ranked No. 70 for obesity and overweight, No. 78 for health consequences and No. 55 for food and fitness.

New Haven landed even lower at No. 72 overall. The city ranked No. 72 for obesity and overweight, No. 80 for health consequences and No. 66 for food and fitness.

Then there's Bridgeport, which really brought up the rear for Connecticut. Bridgeport ranked No. 81 out of the 100 metro areas studied. It also ranked No. 81 for obesity and overweight and No. 98 for health consequences. Its food and fitness ranking was No. 72.

So, while Connecticut doesn't have a city sitting at the absolute bottom of the national list, our three entries are definitely hanging around the wrong end of the standings. And with Bridgeport at No. 81 and Hartford and New Haven also outside the top 50, this isn't exactly a banner moment for the Nutmeg State.

The national list was topped by Little Rock, Arkansas, while Connecticut's cities were all packed into the lower portion of the rankings. Basically, if this were a class, Connecticut wouldn't be failing — but we'd probably be sitting toward the back of the room hoping the teacher doesn't start handing out report cards.