New Survey Shows Obesity Rates Exceed 45% in Rural Arkansas

Arkansas already has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, and now, results from the new Arkansas Health Survey, housed at the University of Arkansas, show that obesity across the state is particularly concentrated in rural areas. Among Arkansas's 440 rural census tracts, 99 have obesity rates of 45% or higher. 

"These data make clear that rural Arkansas is bearing a disproportionate share of the state's obesity burden," said Michael Niño, associate professor of sociology and criminology at the U of A and principal investigator of the Arkansas Health Survey. 

Obesity, defined by the Centers for Disease Control as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher, is a leading risk factor for stroke, heart disease, diabetes and premature death. Communities with extremely high rates of obesity face greater demand for emergency care, long-term treatment and chronic disease management. Rural communities have fewer hospitals and face shortages of health care providers. 

The Arkansas Health Survey provides a detailed portrait of physical and mental health across the state. Based on nearly 10,000 responses, the survey shows researchers and public health officials the prevalence of more than 30 different indicators, including tobacco use, alcohol abuse and depression, in each of the state's 823 census tracts. 

Arkansas is only the second state, following California, to conduct an in-depth health survey to capture community-level insights. 

Public health professionals have long known that Arkansas has a high rate of obesity. The Arkansas Health Survey found that 38.9% of adult Arkansans, or roughly four of 10, meet the clinical definition for obesity. 

Previous surveys, however, only provided detailed data for the state's 75 counties. By zooming it to individual neighborhoods, the Arkansas Health Survey lets policymakers, clinicians and community organizations better tailor their response to obesity. 

"Our state is diverse, from our Delta region to our mountain region to our more urban areas. The granularity really helps us see what the challenges are," said Michael Thomsen, director of the Center for the Study of Obesity at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. 

Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, Thomsen said, often provide less access to healthy food. Paradoxically, a rural area might be less conducive to regular exercise than a town with bike lanes and other infrastructure. 

"Disparities don't happen at the county level. They happen at the neighborhood level," Thomsen said. 

The Arkansas Health Survey findings give state and local partners the information needed to design more effective responses to obesity in Arkansas. By showing exactly where obesity rates are highest, the survey results help communities and health systems target resources and develop place-based interventions that reflect local needs and conditions. 

The findings from the Arkansas Health Survey arrive as the state pursues federal support for the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program, which aims to strengthen rural hospitals, expand care delivery options and improve health outcomes in underserved areas. 

In early 2026, interactive maps from the Arkansas Health Survey will be available online through the AR-COMPASS dashboard. Annual updates of the survey will let state and community leaders evaluate progress over time.  

The Arkansas Health Survey was a collaborative effort between the U of A and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Both the survey and the forthcoming dashboard are housed within the Arkansas Health Equity and Access Lab at the U of A.