Fattest States in America: Mississippi Tips Scale

From the picante-barbecue-smoked plains of Texas to the buckwheat-pancake-rich hills of West Virginia; from the cornfields of Indiana, where you could swear the scent of corn dogs and marshmallow ambrosia rises straight to heaven, to the bayous of Louisiana, where stiff-necked Cajuns wash down jambalaya with Sazeracs: say hello America's most obese states. 

Taking top honors: Mississippi, home of spicy Creole shrimp and mud pies. 

247wallst.com's Michael Sauter and Lisa Uible weigh the U.S.A. using self-reported obesity statistics from a CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System report, a Gallup BMI survey, and life expectancy numbers from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation's statehealthfacts.org. 

The Gallup poll comes with another color-coded map showing thinnest-to-fattest states. The Centennial state weighs in as America's sveltest, and perhaps not coincidentally, the top result in a search for "Colorado cuisine" is this Denver Post article regretfully reporting that pulled pork is the closest approach to a Rocky Mountain culinary tradition. 

Related: 

The Pentagon says fat is a threat to national preparedness. 

Gary Taubes says the government is making you fat: 

Institute of Medicine blames "obesogenic" environment, advocates mockery of the portly. 

President's wife makes Olympic gold medalist apologize for eating an Egg McMuffin.