These Foods Could Be Damaging Your Brain

Author Ms. Jessica

April 11th, 2023 8:29 AM

(Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Did you know there are certain foods that could damage your brain? While it’s good to keep one’s brain limber by taking on activities like crossword puzzles or Wordle, one’s diet also has an effect on brain function. According to experts, margarine should be avoided because it causes blood vessels to the brain to constrict, “Better to stick to olive oil and real butter.” Soda and beer are also no-no’s. Soda’s high concentration of simple sugars can damage the brain’s blood vessels, and beer contains empty calories and a neurotoxin that hurt one’s central and peripheral nervous system. Even supposedly healthy foods can be bad for your noggin. Most protein powders contain too much added sugar and artificial sweeteners, while the process used to decaffeinate coffee uses chemicals that increase the chances of brain cancer. What do you do to keep your mind sharp?

The Real Brain Exhibit @Bristol Science Centre
Share
BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 10: Nicole Briggs looks at a real human brain being displayed as part of new exhibition at the @Bristol attraction on March 8, 2011 in Bristol, England. The Real Brain exhibit - which comes with full consent from a anonymous donor and needed full consent from the Human Tissue Authority - is suspended in liquid with a engraved full scale skeleton on one side and a diagram of the central nervous system on the other and is a key feature of the All About Us exhibition opening this week. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The Wellcome Collections Unveils Their New Exhibition Brains
Share
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 27: A visitor looks at an artwork entitled 'My Soul' by Katharine Dowson which consists of a laser etched lead chrystal glass formation in the shape of a brain, and was created using the artists own MRI Scan on March 27, 2012 in London, England. The exhibit makes up part of the Wellcome Collection's major new exhibition, 'Brains' which includes slices of Einstein's brain, 3000 year old trepanned skulls, ancient Egyptian mummified brains and brains in jars, and opens to the public from March 29 June 17, 2012. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Wellcome Collections Unveils Their New Exhibition Brains
Share
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 27: A man passes an exhibit at the Wellcome trusts new 'Brains' exhibition at the Wellcome Collection on March 27, 2012 in London, England. The exhibit makes up part of the Wellcome Collection's major new exhibition, 'Brains' which includes slices of Einstein's brain, 3000 year old trepanned skulls, ancient Egyptian mummified brains and brains in jars, and opens to the public from March 29 June 17, 2012. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Grant Museum Of Zoology Houses A Collection Of Weird And Wonderful Artefacts
Share
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 04: Animal brains are preserved at The Grant Museum of Zoology on September 4, 2012 in London, England. Containing 67,000 specimens, the Grant Museum of Zoology is the only one of it's kind in London. Started as a teaching collection in 1828 the collection displays only about 5% of all the specimens it holds. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Affectionately known as “The Girl Next Door”, her high energy, passion, and a bubbly voice comes through every time she touches a microphone. As the host of the top-rated radio show “After Vibez with Ms. Jessica and co-host of the award-winning radio morning show “The Morning Maddhouse” on Power 98, Ms. Jessica captivates listeners daily with her “Nosey Neighbor News”, candid conversations, and entertaining antics with the biggest celebrities. Catch up with Ms. Jessica online as she writes about all of your favorite entertainment topics and deep dives into the world of fast food restaurants.

South Carolina Is One Of The 10 Most Overweight States In The Country

Being overweight is becoming the new normal in America. And if you say that it’s quickly referred to as “fat-shaming”. I’m not here to tell you to lose weight. I’m not here to tell you you’re fat or skinny. Those are all conversations to have with your doctor. But I am here to tell you the facts. And, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70 percent of U.S. adults (20+) are either classified as overweight or obese. While still lower, rates for children and adolescents are also on the rise. Why should you care? Well, obesity costs our healthcare system $173 billion per year according to the CDC. And a recent study by WalletHub ranked South Carolina as one of the most overweight states.

What is causing this? One main issue is a lack of physical activity. Other factors include genetics, emotional instability, and sleeplessness. To determine where obesity and overweight most dangerously persist, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key metrics. This data set ranges from the share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs. And, well it’s bad news for South Carolina as we find ourselves ranking as one of the fattest states, near the top of these rankings.

Keep reading to see where South Carolina ranks in the most overweight states. Then you’ll see the 10 least overweight and obese states. You can view the full WalletHub study here.

Most Overweight & Obese States
1. West Virginia

Total Score: 74.60

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 1

Health Consequences: 1

Food & Fitness: 9
2. Mississippi
<img class=”size-full wp-image-372106″ src=”https://kiss951.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2022/07/GettyImages-642052488.jpg” alt=”Mississippi” width=”724″ height=”483″ />

Total Score: 72.33

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 2

Health Consequences: 10

Food & Fitness: 1
3. Kentucky

Total Score: 68.99

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 4

Health Consequences: 8

Food & Fitness: 5
4. Arkansas

Total Score: 68.95

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 3

Health Consequences: 17

Food & Fitness: 6
5. Alabama

Total Score: 68.63

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 5

Health Consequences: 11

Food & Fitness: 3
6. Tennessee

Total Score: 67.46

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 6

Health Consequences: 12

Food & Fitness: 10
7. Louisiana

Total Score: 65.66

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 7

Health Consequences: 26

Food & Fitness: 4
8. Delaware

Total Score: 63.99

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 7

Health Consequences: 26

Food & Fitness: 4
9. Oklahoma

Total Score: 63.71

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 8

Health Consequences: 32

Food & Fitness: 15
10. South Carolina

Total Score: 63.43

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 10

Health Consequences: 22

Food & Fitness: 2
11. Georgia

Total Score: 62.27

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 11

Health Consequences: 28

Food & Fitness: 8
12. Texas
Total Score: 62.08

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 9

Health Consequences: 34

Food & Fitness: 13
13. Ohio
Total Score: 61.99

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 13

Health Consequences: 18

Food & Fitness: 14
14. Missouri

Total Score: 61.51

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 12

Health Consequences: 23

Food & Fitness: 17
15. North Carolina

Total Score: 60.13

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 16

Health Consequences: 21

Food & Fitness: 18
Least Overweight & Obese States
51. Colorado
Total Score: 43.23

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 51

Health Consequences: 48

Food & Fitness: 19
50. Utah

Total Score: 43.47

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 49

Health Consequences: 50

Food & Fitness: 34
49. District of Columbia

Total Score: 44.28

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 50

Health Consequences: 44

Food & Fitness: 31
48. Massachusetts

Total Score: 45.90

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 47

Health Consequences: 45

Food & Fitness: 51
47. Hawaii

Total Score: 47.00

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 44

Health Consequences: 51

Food & Fitness: 41
46. Minnesota
<img class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-353774″ src=”https://kiss951.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2022/05/GettyImages-1301638912-scaled.jpg” alt=”Minnesota” width=”2560″ height=”1708″ />

Total Score: 48.27

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 45

Health Consequences: 42

Food & Fitness: 39
45. California

Total Score: 49.97

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 38

Health Consequences: 49

Food & Fitness: 26
44. New York

Total Score: 50.93

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 43

Health Consequences: 38

Food & Fitness: 27
43. Arizona

Total Score: 51.12

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 35

Health Consequences: 47

Food & Fitness: 25
42. Washington

Total Score: 51.17

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence: 37

Health Consequences: 35

Food & Fitness: 43
Methodology
In order to determine the most overweight and obese states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three key dimensions: 1) Obesity & Overweight Prevalence, 2) Health Consequences and 3) Food & Fitness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 31 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most overweight state. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we calculated the population size using the square root of the population in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Obesity & Overweight Prevalence – Total Points: 60

Share of Overweight Adults: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

Share of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)

Share of Overweight Teenagers: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: “Teenagers” includes the population aged 14 to 18.

Share of Obese Teenagers: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
Note: “Teenagers” includes the population aged 14 to 18.

Share of Overweight Children: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: “Children” includes the population aged 10 to 17.

Share of Obese Children: Double Weight (~12.00 Points)
Note: “Children” includes the population aged 10 to 17.

Projected Obesity Rate in 2030: Full Weight (~6.00 Points)

Health Consequences – Total Points: 25

Share of Adults with High Cholesterol: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Share of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Projected Diabetes Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Projected Obesity-Related Cancer Cases in 2030: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Share of Adults with Hypertension: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Heart Disease Rate: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Projected Coronary Heart Disease & Stroke Cases by 2030: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Obesity-Related Death Rate: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)

Obesity-Related Health Care Costs: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the annual incremental health care costs attributable to obesity per 100,000 adults, as calculated by Gallup, which estimates per-person cost at $1,573.

Projected Obesity-Related Care Cost Increase by 2030: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Level of Expanded Health Insurance Coverage for Nutritional Counseling: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures whether Nutritional Counseling is covered, partially covered or not covered at all by health insurance in every state.

Presence of DNPAO Funding for Obesity-Related Programs: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This binary metric the presence or absence of DNPAO (Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity) funding for obesity-related programs in every state.

Food & Fitness – Total Points: 15

Share of Adults Eating Less than 1 Serving of Fruits/Vegetables per Day: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Share of Secondary Schools that Ban Students from Purchasing Soda or Fruit Drinks: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Fast-Food Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Healthy-Food Access: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of census tracts that have at least one healthier food retailer located within the tract or within 0.5 miles of tract boundaries.

Health Educators and Community Health Workers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
Note: Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities.

Share of Middle and High Schools Offering Salad Bars: Half Weight (~0.65 Points)
Note: This indicator represents the share of middle and high schools that offer a self-serve salad bar.

Comprehensiveness of School Nutrition Policies: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
Note: This metrics measures the degree of comprehensiveness of School Nutrition Policies by state.

1 – Comprehensive

0.6 – Moderate

0.3 – Low

0 – No Coverage

Comprehensiveness of School Physical Activity Policies: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)
Note: This metrics measures the degree of comprehensiveness of School Physical Activity Policies by state.

1 – Comprehensive

0.5 – Moderate

0 – Low

Share of Physically Inactive Adults: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Share of Physically Inactive Children and Teenagers Aged 6-17: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.30 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Trust for America’s Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Gallup, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, National Conference of State Legislatures, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.