Hawai'i is the second leanest state in the nation, with 56 percent of the state's population overweight or obese.

Those are the findings from CalorieLab, Inc., which recently released its analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Mississippi claimed the title of the fattest state for the third consecutive year, while Colorado repeats at the leanest. According to CalorieLab officials, Hawai'i had not conducted annual BMI surveys until 2005, so the required three years of data was not available until this year.

Last year California was the only state whose obesity rate held steady. This year it raised by 0.4 percent, but because of the overall increase in obesity nationwide California's ranking dropped five places, from 36th fattest state to 41st fattest state.

The only state to get slimmer this year is not actually a state: the District of Columbia's three-year obesity rate dropped by 0.1 percent.

In general, states in the West and New England rank lowest in the rankings for fattest states, while states in the South and the Rust Belt tend to rank highest.

CalorieLab computed the fattest state rankings for this year based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rankings use a three-year average to smooth out statistical fluctuations.

To view the state rankings and report, go to http://calorielab.com/news/2008/07/02/fattest-states-2008/