Health
Obesity most prevalent in these 3 southern cities
America is struggling with an obesity problem, as nearly 42% of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Whether this is due to lack of healthy food items and education or easy access to fast food, obesity-related healthcare costs in America have grown to $190.2 billion, the National League of Cities recently reported.
In a new WalletHub study, 100 of the most populated metropolitan areas were compared to 19 key indicators of weight-related problems to reveal which U.S. cities are the most overweight and obese in 2025.
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The analysis then ranked each city on three dimensions: obesity and overweight, health consequences, and food and fitness.
“Obesity is becoming more and more prevalent in the U.S., and it’s costing us big time,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, who is based in South Carolina, said in a statement.
WalletHub’s data set for this study ranged from “the share of physically inactive adults to projected obesity rates by 2030 to healthy food access.” (iStock)
“In the most overweight and obese cities, residents often lack easy access to healthy food and recreation opportunities, so investing in those areas should help improve people’s diets and exercise regimens and reduce the financial burden overall.”
Obesity is defined by the CDC as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity is defined as having a BMI of 40 or higher.
The following cities came out on top as the most overweight in the country.
1. McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas, has the second-lowest percentage of residents who live close to parks or recreational facilities, WalletHub found. (iStock)
McAllen, Texas, ranked No. 1 as America’s most overweight city.
Hidalgo County came in first overall, with the highest percentage of obese adults (45%) and physically inactive adults.
McAllen specifically ranked No. 3 for obesity and overweight, as well as food and fitness. It also came in fifth for health consequences.
The study also found that 31% of adults in McAllen are overweight, but not obese.
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The Texas city has the second-highest share of obese teenagers, the analysis found, and the fifth-highest number of obese children.
“McAllen residents are also very affected by diseases related to being [at] an unhealthy weight,” WalletHub called out.
“For example, the city has the eighth-highest share of people with diabetes and the fourth-highest heart disease rate.”
2. Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas, is projected to have the second-highest obesity rate in 2030. (iStock)
Little Rock, Arkansas, ranked as America’s second-most overweight city.
Arkansas’ capital came in fourth for health consequences, fifth for obesity and overweight, and seventh for food and fitness.
The city has the fourth-highest rate of obese children aged 10 to 17 at nearly 23%, as well as high rates of teenage obesity, according to WalletHub.
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Little Rock residents struggle with weight-related conditions, with the fourth-highest percentage of adults with high blood pressure and the fifth-highest rate of heart disease.
The city has the second-lowest numbers of health educators per capita, the study revealed, and limited access to healthy foods.
“The problem will likely remain for the foreseeable future, too, as Little Rock has the second-highest projected obesity rate for 2030,” WalletHub predicted.
3. Jackson, Mississippi
“Not exercising regularly is a big reason why many of Jackson’s residents are overweight and obese,” WalletHub wrote. (iStock)
Jackson, Mississippi, came in as No. 3 overall, but ranked No. 1 in the obesity and overweight benchmark.
The city also has the second-highest percentage of physically inactive adults, which WalletHub considered a “big reason” why many residents are overweight and obese.
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About 37% of adults in Jackson are obese, with high rates of obesity for kids and teens as well.
Among medical conditions, the city has the second-highest percentage of residents that have had a stroke and the sixth-highest rate of high blood pressure.
WalletHub added that many Jackson residents lack easy access to healthy food.
Obesity is defined by the CDC as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity is defined as having a BMI of 40 or higher. (iStock)
Cristina Palacios, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida International University, emphasized in a statement the importance of maintaining a healthy diet for weight.
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“My suggestion is to improve one’s diet by taking a critical look at what we eat and drink and plan on how to improve it slowly,” she said. “It is very challenging to change everything at once. Take one action and implement it.”
“For example, you could start by eating all your meals with water instead of juice, sodas, etc.,” she said.
“This may take some time, as many are used to drinking something sweet, but this is a powerful first step, as the calories from beverages are not registered by our brain and one can drink a lot of calories without compensating later in the day.”
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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