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Forbes Magazine says if you live in the American South, chances are you take more medications than you would if you lived north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Forbes says research shows West Virginia is the most medicated state.
States residents filled an average 11.1 retail prescriptions per capita in 2006, according to the latest figures compiled by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation's statehealthfacts.org and Vector One.
Well above that average is West Virginia.
The state came in first with 17.2 retail prescriptions filled per capita, followed by Missouri, 15.9; Tennessee, 15.8; Alabama, 15.7; and Kentucky, 15.4.
At the bottom of the list, Alaska, 6.5; California, 7.4; and Hawaii, 7.7.
Forbes says while it may seem strange that states and regions have such disparities in terms of their residents' use of prescription drugs, other research bears out similar findings.
West Virginia ranked high in the usage of seven major drug therapy classes, including anti-hyperlipidemics (drugs that lower lipid levels in the blood), anti-diabetics, anti-hypertensives, gastrointestinal medications, antidepressants, analgesics/anti-inflamatories and estrogen.
Experts say a major reason for the high usage of prescription drugs in the south is high obesity rates.
About 32.6% of adults in Mississippi were considered obese in 2007, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.
Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia rounded out the top five heavyweights, all registering rates over 30%.
Obesity is a known risk factor for chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.
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