A new study shows that South Carolina is the 10th most obese state in America.

34.1% of its adult population struggles with obesity.

The national average is 30.1%.

ConsumerProtect.com has released the study which analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control on obesity, exercise, and healthy eating habits.

You are considered obese when your Body Mass Indicator is over 30.

If you are 5’9” and weigh 203 pounds, you qualify as obese.

In Lexington County, the average man weighs 216 pounds with a BMI of 31.5, according to a 2-year obesity study by DietSpotlight.

That BMI goes up to 32.8 in women, who have an average weight of 196 pounds.

The average Lexington County resident would need to lose 60.7 pounds to reach a healthy weight, the research found.

That’s 2% lower than the state average 61.9 pounds and 3% higher than the national average 59 pounds.

The national average of obese people has doubled from 15% in 1990.

It’s not only bad news for our waistlines but also our wallets.

The cost of treating obesity – linked to early death, heart disease and diabetes – is up to $210 billion annually.

Causes of obesity include:

• Lack of exercise. 28.4% of adult SC residents do zero physical leisure activity, ranking them 17th in the country.

• Unhealthy eating. 40.6% of SC adults east less than 1 fruit per day, ranking them 9th in the country.