John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
Obesity in the United States - Statistics & Facts
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In 2023, around 40 percent of adults in the United States were obese, while 10 percent were severely obese. The rate of obesity has increased steadily over the past couple of decades and many Americans now consider it one of the leading health issues facing the country. Those who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of a number of health issues and, according to the CDC, obesity costs the U.S. healthcare system almost 173 billion U.S. dollars a year. Eating a healthy and balanced diet and being physically active are the best ways to lose weight. However, according to the CDC, fewer than one in 10 adults eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables and just one in four meet physical activity guidelines. A survey from 2024 found that around 61 percent of women and 48 percent of men in the United States wanted to lose weight.
Disparities in obesity in the United States
In the United States, obesity rates can vary based on factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, education, income level, and state. For example, women in the United States are slightly more likely to be obese than men and Black adults are more likely to be obese than other races/ethnicities. In 2023, around 42 percent of Black adults were obese compared to 32 percent of white adults. Rates of obesity are also lowest among college graduates and among those with an annual income of 75,000 U.S. dollars or greater. In 2023, the states with the highest share of adults who were obese were West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. At that time, an incredible 41 percent of adults in West Virginia were obese. Colorado had the lowest rate of obesity, but still, a quarter of adults in the state were obese.The health impacts of obesity
Being overweight and obese can cause a number of health problems and can increase the risk of a variety of diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. The prevalence of diabetes has increased steadily in the United States over the past couple of decades, with over eight percent of the population living with diagnosed diabetes as of 2022. Although the death rate from heart disease has actually decreased since the 1950s, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Unsurprisingly, some of the states with the highest rates of death from heart disease are also those with the highest rates of obesity. Some of the most common cancers associated with obesity include postmenopausal female breast cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and cancer of the corpus and uterus. It is important to remember that it is never too late to lose weight and therefore decrease the risk of associated disease and even relatively small decreases in weight can make a difference.John Elflein
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Mar 11, 2025
John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
