Our latest research
Original, data-driven studies and health epidemiology from our team — independent analysis with transparent methodology and sources.
Adult Obesity Prevalence by U.S. State (2026)
In 2024, every U.S. state had an adult obesity rate of at least 25%, ranging from Colorado's 25.0% to West Virginia's 41.4%, according to the CDC's latest BRFSS-based maps.
Read study →Adult Depression Prevalence by U.S. State (2026)
Age-standardized prevalence of adults ever told they had a depressive disorder ranged from 12.7% in Hawaii to 27.5% in West Virginia, per CDC BRFSS data, with the highest rates clustered in Appalachia.
Read study →Physical Inactivity Among Adults by U.S. State (2026)
CDC BRFSS data show adult leisure-time physical inactivity ranges from about 14% in DC and Colorado to nearly 30% in Mississippi, with the highest rates clustered across the South.
Read study →Adult Diabetes Prevalence by U.S. State (2026)
CDC BRFSS data show age-adjusted diagnosed diabetes among U.S. adults ranged from 7.0% in Vermont to 14.6% in West Virginia in 2022, with a clear Deep South / Appalachian concentration.
Read study →Uninsured Rate by U.S. State (2026)
In 2024, 8.2% of Americans lacked health insurance — up from 7.9% a year earlier, driven largely by Medicaid coverage declines. The gap between states is enormous: Texas (16.7%) is nearly six times Massachusetts (2.8%). These are the latest official U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey figures, covering all 50 states and D.C.
Read study →Adult Smoking Rates by U.S. State (2026)
CDC BRFSS data shows adult cigarette smoking ranged from 6.9% in Utah to 22.3% in West Virginia in the most recent state-level release, with the national rate at 13.2%. Smoking remains concentrated in Appalachia and the South.
Read study →Adults Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines by U.S. State (2026)
Using the most recent CDC BRFSS data (2023), 59.9% of U.S. adults met the federal aerobic physical activity guideline. State rates ranged from 51.1% in Oklahoma to 67.8% in the District of Columbia, with the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest leading and the Deep South trailing.
Read study →How Much Americans Spend on Dietary Supplements
The average U.S. household spends about $131 a year on nonprescription vitamins, and supplement use rises sharply with age and is higher among women. Here is what federal and industry data show, and why no reliable state-by-state ranking exists.
Read study →Hair-Loss Treatment Spending Surges Among Younger Men
Finasteride prescriptions among U.S. men aged 25 and older rose about 200% in seven years, and telehealth company Hims & Hers booked nearly $1.5 billion in 2024 revenue — a spending surge that clinicians and analysts attribute largely to younger men treating hair loss earlier through subscription telehealth.
Read study →How Much Sleep Working Adults Actually Get
Federal survey data show that nearly half of Americans working more than 60 hours a week sleep under 7 hours a night. Here's what the CDC's two biggest health surveys reveal about who is most sleep-deprived — and why work is so often the culprit.
Read study →Vitamin D Insufficiency Across US Demographics
Federal NHANES data show that only about 1 in 20 Americans are at risk of true vitamin D deficiency, but the burden falls unevenly: non-Hispanic Black adults are at risk at roughly 8 times the rate of non-Hispanic white adults.
Read study →Daily Screen Time Keeps Climbing for US Teens
US teens average roughly 8.5 hours of entertainment screen media a day, and nearly half say they are online "almost constantly" — a share that has nearly doubled in a decade. Here's what the published survey data show and why researchers say it matters for adolescent health.
Read study →The Most Sleep-Deprived U.S. Cities
Federal and county-level health data show that in the worst-sleeping large U.S. cities, more than 4 in 10 adults sleep less than the recommended 7 hours, and the gap between the worst and best big cities is nearly 17 percentage points. Here is where Americans sleep least, and why — with a note on how rankings shift depending on the data set used.
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