Woodbridge Among Areas Losing Most Weight Nationally

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Obesity is becoming a widespread concern across the U.S. with more than one in three adults considered to be obese. But those living in Prince William County don't have much to worry about.

A new 24/7 Wall St report ranks counties gaining and losing the most weight using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prince William County is fourth in the latter category, among dozens of counties and jurisdictions reporting a lower obesity rate than a decade ago and falling below the average 27.7 percent nationwide rate. The county has seen its obesity rate drop from 27.7 percent in 2004 to 25.5 percent in 2013.

Prince William County's 16.9 percent of adults who don't exercise in their free time is one of the smaller shares among any U.S. county, declining by nearly four percentage points in the last 10 years. The city is among other Northern Virginia jurisdictions dominating the top five spots, including Arlington County, Alexandria and the City of Fairfax. (For more local stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Here are the top 10 losing and gaining the most weight:

Counties losing the most weight

1. Arlington County, Virginia
2. Prince William County, Virginia
3. City of Fairfax, Virginia
4. Monroe County, Indiana
5. City of Alexandria, Virginia
6. Dodge County, Georgia
7. Monroe County, Florida
8. Sierra County, New Mexico
9. Madison County, Mississippi
10. Craig County, Oklahoma

Counties gaining the most weight

1. Somerset County, Maryland
2. Clarendon County, South Carolina
3. Murray County, Oklahoma
4. Indiana County, Pennsylvania
5. Leslie County, Kentucky
6. Ashley County, Arkansas
7. Evangeline Parish, Lousiana
8. Seward County, Kansas
9. Calhoun County, Florida
10. Phillips County, Arkansas

See the full report here.

Image via stanvpetersen at Pixabay