The state of Michigan is the largest car manufacturing state in the US. It features the iconic domed capitol building in Lansing, the largest manufacturer of magic supplies in the country, and the oldest incorporated county in the US (Wayne in 1815).
Michigan has the second-largest amount of shoreline of any state behind Alaska. However, Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline, and the Detroit Zoo is recognized as the first to allow its animals to roam freely in open exhibits free of cages.
There are 83 counties in Michigan comprised of nearly 10 million people — the 10th most populated state in the country. Of those 83 counties, only one reduced its population’s obesity percentage in the decade spanning 2012 to 2022 — Cheboygan. Barry and Roscommon were the only counties to maintain their obesity percentages during that time. All other counties saw their obesity percentage increase by at least one point. Check out the data graphic below that shows how each county fared:
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[Related: Michigan’s Top 50 Fittest Cities for Fit Lifestyles]
Michigan is a remarkably obese state overall. Only one county — Washtenaw — has an obesity percentage below 30 percent, though not by much (29 percent). As of 2022, 15 counties have obesity percentages of 40 percent or greater: Saginaw, Gratiot, Genesee, Muskegon, Newaygo, Sanilac, Lenawee, Wayne, Montcalm, Isabella, Luce, Baraga, Tuscola, Clare, and Hillsdale. Another 24 counties are within two percentage points of joining the 40 percenters.
Three of Michigan’s counties added double-digits to their obesity percentages: Houghton, Clare, and Hillsdale added 10, 12, and 13 points, respectively. Fifty-three counties have added at least five points to their obesity percentage since 2012.
Comparing all 83 counties on a curve, Oakland, which increased its obesity percentage from 27 to 31 percent, saw a five percent dip in obesity. Washtenaw was the best performing on the curve, dropping seven points, though it too increased its obesity percentage by four points over the decade. That’s less of a strong sign for Oakload and more of an alarming statistic for Michigan on the whole. The counties with the biggest percentage increase on the curve against their fellow counties were Saginaw and Clare, with six-point jumps.
Featured image via Shutterstock/Suzanne Tucker
