WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – Obesity among U.S. adults is rising, according to new data pulished by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New CDC population data from 2023 show that in 23 states more than one in three adults has obesity. Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent. Currently, at least one in five adults in each U.S. state is living with obesity.
The 23 states with the highest adult obesity rates of 35 percent or higher are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
‘This new data highlight the need for obesity prevention and treatment options, which start with building healthier communities where people of all ages have safe places for physical activity, and where health care and healthy food options are accessible and affordable for all,’ said Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Guam and Puerto Rico also had an obesity rate of at least 35 percent.
Obesity impacts some groups more than others. There are notable differences by race and ethnicity, data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) shows.
Adults of Asian origin do not have an obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent in any state, while in 16 states, White adults have an obesity rate at or above 35 percent.
Obese adult population is reported more among American Indian or Alaska Natives, Hispanics and Blacks.
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