Tulsa is one of the fattest cities in the nation, according to a WalletHub study of 100 major cities.

Tulsa is the No. 6 fattest city, behind only McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas; Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.

WalletHub’s “2019 Fattest Cities in America” compared 100 of the most populated U.S. metro areas across 19 key factors. The data set ranges from share of obese adults to share of overweight children to projected obesity rates by 2030.

Weight Problems in Tulsa

(1=Fattest, 50=Avg.):

7th – percent of Obese Adults

7th – percent of Physically Inactive Adults

57th – percent of Adults with High Cholesterol

13th – percent of Adults with Low Fruit/Vegetable Consumption

27th – percent of Adults with Diabetes

12th – percent of Adults with High Blood Pressure

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, has the highest percentage of obese adults while San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, has the lowest.

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, also has the highest percentage of physically inactive adults while Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California, was ranked the lowest.

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio/Pennsylvania, had the highest percentage of adults with high cholesterol while San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, has the lowest.

When it comes to the highest percentage of diabetic adults, El Paso, Texas, is the worst and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, is tied with Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Wisconsin, as the lowest.

Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, had the highest percentage of adults with low consumption of fruits and vegetables. Portland-South Portland, Maine, had the lowest percentage. In the high blood pressure chart, Mobile, Alabama, had the worst rating and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, had the best rating.

What can Tulsans do to lose weight?

 “Resolve to eat out less,”  said Brent M. Peterson, associate professor, Biola University. “There are many recipe options and how-to videos online that provide healthy, delicious and easily prepared meals from professionals in the field of nutrition. Not only will you save money in the long run, but the nature of food preparation essentially forces individuals to interact with his-or-her food, allowing for more decision making capability than ordering an item based off a picture in a menu.”

Some say that they can’t afford to eat a healthy diet.

“Simplify the food,” said Peterson. “A misconception exists that eating healthy is expensive. Are there more expensive organic options? Sure, but careful shopping of organic items can still be accomplished in a way that is more cost effective than eating out at restaurants or fast food chains.

“I have heard many of the excuses for why people think this isn’t possible, but I can tell you my wife and I have 3 kids and we have been able to eat mostly organic or whole foods for far cheaper than eating out at restaurants.

“Also, by avoiding heavily processed foods and eating more “whole food” types of items, one can stand to significantly reduce the number of additives, colorants, flavors and preservatives. As a physiologist with a background in cancer rehabilitation, I can tell you that cancer is far more expensive than paying a little extra for healthy and nutritious foods.”

Today’s rapid lifestyles contribute to weight problems.

“I often think that because we, as humans, generally tend to be rushing around all the time that we expect results to be just as quick,” Peterson said. “However, as a result of living a fast-paced life, I surmise that one of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they take on too much, too soon, too quickly, and end up so disappointed that they quit.

“In order to develop healthy behaviors and habits we need a bit more time in the activity before it becomes solidified. I often recommend that people start small (whatever that means for the individual), find things they enjoy, increase doing enjoyable things, and be consistent for longer than a month. Then, reevaluate, add, and repeat.”

Another problem is a lack of accountability when it comes to healthy eating.

“When we are accountable somehow, we tend to do better with the assignment/project etc.,” Peterson said. “If there are incentives or consequences attached to behavioral or lifestyle changes, I would venture to say these help to motivate.

“For example, the years that I spent working with cancer patients going through treatment was more than enough motivation to take care of myself and my family. I have had friends and former colleagues who, when working in cardiac rehabilitation, made dramatic shifts in their nutrition and exercise habits because of how they did not want to end up being a patient one day.”

Being overweight has an impact on workers’ productivity.

“I am curious to see the large-scale data on this one day, but based on the negative health impacts and outcomes of obesity, I would argue that it has a huge impact on productivity and the economy,” Peterson said. “Given that there is a push in society to normalize obesity, my statements may not be accepted by everyone. However, the fact of the matter is that there are individually appropriate weight management levels that are conducive of promotion and protection of optimal health and longevity. Body fat percentages that classify an individual as obese have not been associated with health and longevity. There are plenty of data to support this argument.

“Also, this statement is not to say that obese individuals cannot get a job done, nor is this intended to minimize some legitimate medical or psychological situations, but it’s merely to point out that more physically fit individuals are most likely more effective in his-or-her productivity for jobs that require a greater amount of movement.”