Study: Iowa is 4th most obese state in the U.S.

A new study from

released Monday finds Iowa is the fourth most obese state in the country.

According to the study, 36.4% of Iowa's adult population struggles with obesity. The national average is 30.1%, a number that has doubled since 1990.

The study looked at data from the Centers for Disease Control on obesity, exercise and healthy eating habits.

According to the study, the estimated costs of obesity range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.

Nurse Practitioner Robert Lancaster told TV-9 that he thinks lifestyle changes for Iowans could have impacted the high rank.

“I think some of it is our natural heritage,” Lancaster explained. “We were originally farmers, very rural agriculture. A hard day's work for us was out in the field. Population has now moved to more of an urban setting."

A person is considered obese when their Body Mass Indicator (BMI) is over 30, according to the

.

West Virginia and Mississippi ranked at number one and two, respectively when it came to the most obese states. Colorado came in as the least obese state in the country.