Is Right Wing Obsessed with Fitness? State Obesity Data Tells Otherwise

A recent article published in MSNBC has claimed that the far-right is obsessed with fitness, but is that really the case? We decided to take a closer look at the data to find out. Of course, correlation does not imply causation, but it’s still interesting to see the data.

List of Most Obese in Red and Blue States

When we analyzed the obesity percentages in traditionally blue and red states, we made an interesting discovery. Of the top 18 most obese states, if we exclude North Carolina - a swing state, all of them have voted Republican in recent elections. In contrast, the least obese 13 states have all traditionally been Democrat.

This data from CDC Obesity report 2021 completely contradicts the notion that the right or say “far-right” is obsessed with fitness. In fact, it seems that the opposite is true.

The Most Obese States in America Red and Blue - A Quick Look

The Most Obese States in America with Political Inclination

The table lists all the states in the USA with their obesity rates and political inclination. You can sort it by clicking on the column header.

⌃ Rank	State/Region	% of Obese Adults	Right/Left
1	West Virginia	40.6	Republican
2	Kentucky	40.3	Republican
3	Alabama	39.9	Republican
4	Oklahoma	39.4	Republican
5	Mississippi	39.1	Republican
6	Arkansas	38.7	Republican
7	Louisiana	38.6	Republican
8	South Dakota	38.4	Republican
9	Ohio	37.8	Swing State
10	Missouri	37.3	Republican
11	Iowa	36.4	Republican
12	Indiana	36.3	Republican
13	South Carolina	36.1	Republican
14	Texas	36.1	Republican
15	Kansas	36	Republican
16	North Carolina	36	Swing State
17	Puerto Rico	36	-
18	Nebraska	35.9	Republican
19	Virgin Islands	35.6	-
20	North Dakota	35.2	Republican
21	Tennessee	35	Republican
22	New Mexico	34.6	Democrat
23	Michigan	34.4	Swing State
24	Maryland	34.3	Democrat
25	Illinois	34.2	Democrat
26	Virginia	34.2	Democrat
27	Delaware	33.9	Democrat
28	Georgia	33.9	Swing State
29	Wisconsin	33.9	Swing State
30	Alaska	33.5	Republican
31	Guam	33.5	-
32	Pennsylvania	33.3	Swing State
33	Minnesota	32.4	Swing State
34	Wyoming	32	Republican
35	Maine	31.9	Democrat
36	Montana	31.8	Republican
37	Idaho	31.6	Republican
38	Arizona	31.3	Swing State
39	Nevada	31.3	Swing State
40	Utah	30.9	Republican
41	New Hampshire	30.6	Democrat
42	Connecticut	30.4	Democrat
43	Oregon	30.4	Democrat
44	Rhode Island	30.1	Democrat
45	New York	29.1	Democrat
46	Vermont	29	Democrat
47	Washington	28.8	Democrat
48	New Jersey	28.2	Democrat
49	California	27.6	Democrat
50	Massachusetts	27.4	Democrat
51	Colorado	25.1	Democrat
52	Hawaii	25	Democrat
53	District of Columbia	24.7	Democrat
54	Florida	No data	Swing State

If you take a closer look you will find that the least obese red state is Utah with 30.9% obesity which is still placed at 14th position among least obese states! The most obese blue state is New Mexico with 34.6% obesity which is placed at 20th position among most obese states.

But why is this the case? It could be due to a variety of factors, such as differences in lifestyle, culture, and access to healthy food options. Regardless of the reasons, the data clearly shows that the notion of the far-right being obsessed with fitness is nothing more than a myth.

It’s important to note, however, that this is preliminary data and more research needs to be done to fully understand the relationship between political leanings and obesity rates.

In the meantime, it’s important to remember that fitness and proper nutrition are not exclusive to any particular political affiliation. Regardless of your beliefs, please hit the gym or do whatever that gets you moving.