As they walked in I thought “OMG, this has got to be one of the unhealthiest bunch of people I’ve ever seen in one room at one time!”
McAllen, a small city on the southern tip of Texas near Mexico, was ranked the most obese in the U.S., followed by Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Little Rock, Arkansas, rounding out the top five.
McAllen, Texas is grappling with severe obesity issues, with 45 percent of its adult population classified as obese. This city not only records the highest percentage of obese adults but also significant numbers of overweight children and teenagers. McAllen’s residents face numerous health challenges, including high rates of diabetes and heart disease, exacerbated by a lack of physical activity and limited access to recreational spaces.
SOURCE: 100 Most Obese U.S. Cities: America’s Weight Problem Centers In The South – Study Finds
Several years ago I underwrote a small group of approximately 300 employee lives located in the same geographic area as the City of McAllen. I was unable to experience rate the case as claim data was unavailable . I did the best I could using other methods to set rates. Stop loss cover fit nicely on top my numbers.
The group sold and I was asked to attend employee meetings to explain their new benefit program. As usual I arrived early and was directed into a large auditorium where the meeting was to begin shortly.
Employees began to show up in ones, twos and threes. As they waddled in I thought “OMG, this has got to be one of the unhealthiest bunch of people I’ve ever seen in one room at one time!”
All were grossly obese with slow gaits and generally unhappy expressions of “I don’t want to be here!”
“These rates may not hold!” I thought. “These are walking heart attacks and everyone of them must be diabetic! I should have loaded the rates another 20%.”
My gut, based on their gut, was right.
