Obesity remains high in the United States, but more states show progress, new report says
For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with obesity rates of 35 percent or more declined, an encouraging sign that the U.S. overweight epidemic may be improving. But cuts to federal staff and chronic disease programs could endanger that progress, according to a new report released Thursday.
Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or more in 2024, up from 23 states the year before, according to an analysis of the latest data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data was analyzed by the nonprofit group Trust for America’s Health.
The group’s analysis follows a CDC report last year that found the overall rate of obesity in the United States is high but remains stable, affecting about 40 percent of the population.
Although the decline is positive, “it’s too early to call it a trend,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of TFAH.
And with recent reductions in federal funding, staff layoffs and program cuts, “this potential progress is also at risk,” Gracia said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an email that the administration is “encouraged by new data showing progress in the fight against obesity.”
“We are restructuring public health programs to eliminate waste, reduce bureaucracy and redirect resources toward real prevention,” said spokesman Andrew Nixon.
The latest report analyzed data from the CDC’s 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which uses annual telephone surveys to collect data on health behaviors and chronic diseases across U.S. states and territories.
It showed that 19 states had adult obesity rates of 35% or more, 22 states had rates between 30% and 35%, and nine states had obesity rates below 30%. Rates ranged from a low of 25 percent in Colorado to a high of more than 40 percent in West Virginia.
Between 2023 and 2024, no state saw a statistically significant increase or decrease in its obesity rate, after 18 states saw significant increases over the previous five years, according to the report.
Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence equal to or greater than 35%. In 2019, a dozen states had rates this high — and that number has continued to climb.
In adults, obesity is defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to 30. Body mass index is a calculation based on height and weight. Obesity is a chronic disease linked to a multitude of serious health problems, including diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease.
It’s unclear what might be driving the apparent improvements in obesity. Wider use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound — which target appetite and slow digestion — may start to show up in reported data, said Aviva Musicus, scientific director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. Increased support for nutrition assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic could also be a factor, she suggested.
The report also details a wide range of federal, state and local efforts focused on improving nutrition and increasing physical activity, said Solveig Cunningham, a global health expert at Emory University who specializes in obesity.
“I think the report would argue that some of these interventions might actually be successful,” said Cunningham, who was not involved in the research. “It suggests that maybe there are ways to prevent obesity at the population level, which would be really, really important.”
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