Americans are fatter than ever, new CDC data shows.
Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent – but in 2023, 23 states hit that alarming threshold.
Overall, one in five American adults overall are obese, with the Midwest and the South reporting the highest proportions.
A record four states – West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana – in 2023 had the highest rates at 40 percent. This is one additional state compared to the year before.
The below map shows data for 2023
Overall, one in five American adults overall are obese, with the Midwest and the South reporting the highest proportions
Twenty-three states had obesity rates over 35 percent, four more than the year before.
While Washington DC and Colorado had the lowest figures, no state in the whole country had fewer than one in five obese adults.
Dr Karen Hacker, director of the CDC’s Natinal Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said: ‘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.’
‘Obesity prevention at young ages is critical, because we know that children with obesity often become adults with obesity.’
The US obesity rate has taken off compared to a decade ago, when no states had an obesity rate above 35 percent. The CDC says it is an ‘urgent priority’ to tackle the nation’s growing waistline
The new data was based on the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which surveys 400,000 adults in all 50 states, DC, and three territories.
The CDC defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30.
West Virginia, which has consistently been in the top five for the last decade, had the highest obesity rate at 41.2 percent, the same as last year.
Experts have warned that the Mountain State’s high ranking could be due to a widespread lack of physical activity and healthy food.
For example, CDC data shows that nearly one in three West Virginia residents gets no physical activity or exercise, with only Mississippi and Arkansas ranking higher.
And according to West Virginia University, the state has the country’s highest risk of food insecurity.
This can lead to residents relying on unhealthy, low-cost options like fast food or skipping meals and overeating once food becomes available again.
The state’s obesity crisis could also be fueling several other conditions, including the state’s high rates of diabetes, high cholesterol, and cancer.
Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana also broke the 40 percent mark. While Louisiana passed this threshold last year, Mississippi and Arkansas’s rates both increased in the last year.
Mississippi saw a slight increase from 39.5 percent to 40.1 percent. Meanwhile, Arkansas didn’t even make the top 10 worst states last year and surged to land in the third-worst spot.
However, Oklahoma, which was in the third-worst spot last year, bucked the trend and dropped from 40 percent to 38 percent.
The above CDC graph shows obesity rates for Asian Americans, who were the least likely group to be obese
This graph from the CDC shows obesity rates for non-hispanic black Americans, the most at-risk group for obesity
Washington DC and Colorado had the two lowest obesity rates at 23.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively.
Though up to one in four adults in these regions still are considered obese, Colorado saw a slight decrease in obesity from last year.
In 2022, Colorado recorded a 25 percent obesity rating. DC saw no change from the year before.
CDC data has shown that Colorado has the highest rate of physical activity, with one in six adults reporting that they do not exercise at all.
Additionally, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who live at high altitudes, such as those in Colorado, were up to five times less likely to be obese. The researchers suggested this could be because low oxygen levels at high altitudes can help activate the vagus nerve, which is responsible for appetite control.
As for DC, this low rate may be due to high physical activity rates. For example, one study found that DC had the most gyms in the country, with 20 per 100,000 residents.
Additionally, a 2024 report from the USDA found that DC had the third lowest rate of food insecurity, just behind North Dakota and New Hampshire.
Asian adults were the only racial or ethnic group that didn’t have an obesity prevalence above 35 percent in any state.
Dr Ruth Petersen, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said: ‘Obesity is a complex disease. There’s a common misconception that obesity is a result of lack of willpower and individual failings to eat well and exercise.’
‘Many factors contribute to obesity like genes, certain medications, poor sleep, gut microbiome, stress, access to affordable food, safe places to be active, and access to health care.’
‘Understanding these factors helps us identify potential prevention and treatment strategies.’