Obesity costs the U.S. healthcare system $147 billion per year, according to the CDC. The disease touches many areas of healthcare and accounts for a sizable portion of GI surgeons' cases.
Becker's ASC Review has compiled key rankings on obesity and the job market to form a composite score intended to reflect "hotspots" where both need and opportunity for gastroenterologists is high. Rankings on each metric were averaged, meaning lower scores are better.
Data comes from job market research company Zippia, which analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and personal finance company WalletHub, which analyzed data from HHS, the Census Bureau, BLS, CDC and other private and federal government sources.
The top seven GI hotspot states:
1. (tie) Kentucky. Becker's hotspot composite score: 25
- 10th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $198,647
- Location quotient: 1.14
- 4th most obese state
- 6th worst in obesity health consequences
- 5th worst in food and fitness opportunities
1. (tie) West Virginia. Becker's hotspot composite score: 25
- 11th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $195,665
- Location quotient: 1.28
- 2nd most obese state
- 3rd worst in obesity health consequences
- 9th worst in food and fitness opportunities
3. North Carolina. Becker's hotspot composite score: 58
- 7th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $202,542
- Location quotient: 1.36
- 18th most obese state
- 15th worst in obesity health consequences
- 18th worst in food and fitness opportunities
4. Indiana. Becker's hotspot composite score: 64
- 6th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $215,032
- Location quotient: 0.91
- 12th most obese state
- 31st worst in obesity health consequences
- 15th worst in food and fitness opportunities
5. Delaware. Becker's hotspot composite score: 65
- 19th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $199,180
- Location quotient: 0.84
- 13th most obese state
- 4th worst in obesity health consequences
- 29th worst in food and fitness opportunities
6. (tie) Missouri. Becker's hotspot composite score: 81
- 20th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $198,294
- Location quotient: 0.79
- 11th most obese state
- 33rd worst in obesity health consequences
- 17th worst in food and fitness opportunities
6. (tie) Iowa. Becker's hotspot composite score: 81
- 15th best state for gastroenterologists
- Average annual salary: $197,083
- Location quotient: 1.03
- 16th most obese state
- 23rd worst in obesity health consequences
- 27th worst in food and fitness opportunities