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The results are in ladies and gentlemen: for the sixth year in a row, Mississippi has claimed the number one spot as the Heavyweight (or should we say overweight) Champion of America. According to statistics gathered by YahooNews, Calorielab.com and Birmingham News, the Magnolia state claims exceptionally high adult obesity rates.

As America's waistline continues to expand each year, since 1991 when no state had an obesity rate of over 15%, statisticians and health experts have been keeping track of the numbers. The ten fattest states in America as of this summer include, in descending order from "smallest to biggest:"

The list of the 10 fattest states in America, in descending order from least to most obese, includes:

Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana, with Mississippi holding the #1 spot. According to the sources mentioned above, Colorado holds the spot for the slimmest state in America, maintaining an obesity rate under 20%.

Yahoo News quotes Jeffrey Levi, Ph.D, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), whose group conducted the study with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) on how these statistics correlate with rising obesity-related health issues:

"Obesity has contributed to a stunning rise in chronic disease rates and health care costs. It is one of the biggest health crises the country has ever faced. [Results provide]...a growing body of evidence and approaches needed to help reduce obesity, improve nutrition and increase physical activity based on making healthier choices easier for Americans."

According to the World Health Organization, 346 million people worldwide have diabetes, 80% of which live in low-income to middle-class settings. The reason being, fast-food franchises such as McDonalds and Taco Bell are cheap and convenient for parents who work long hours with little pay. The states where obesity were highest, too, were automotive states where physical activity is limited because of need for cars.