Overweight and obesity in the United States statistics & facts

Overweight and obesity in the US in numbers

The United States has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40.3 percent of US adults aged 20 and over had obesity in August 2021 to August 2023, including 9.7 percent with severe obesity, and a further 31.7 percent were overweight. That means about 72 percent of American adults are above a healthy weight. Among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19, 21.1 percent had obesity, the highest level ever recorded.

After decades of increases, there are signs that the adult trend is turning. The Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index shows self-reported adult obesity falling from a record 39.9 percent in 2022 to 36.8 percent in 2026, as the share of adults taking GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound for weight loss rose from 3 percent in 2024 to 11 percent in 2026. This report sets out the latest data on obesity among adults and children, differences by age, sex, race, education and state, the costs to the health system and the impact of the new generation of weight-loss drugs.

Obesity is defined using body mass index (BMI), which is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. For adults, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 counts as overweight, 30 or more as obesity and 40 or more as severe obesity. For children and adolescents, obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex on CDC growth charts.

Adult obesity since the 1980s

Adult obesity in the United States has nearly doubled in a generation. NHANES data show that the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among adults rose from 22.9 percent in 1988 to 1994 to 30.5 percent in 1999 to 2000, 35.7 percent in 2009 to 2010 and a peak of 42.4 percent in 2017 to 2018. The latest survey, covering August 2021 to August 2023, put the rate at 40.3 percent, slightly lower but not a statistically significant change over the decade.

From 1 in 4 to 2 in 5: adult obesity rose from 22.9 percent in 1988 to 1994 to a peak of 42.4 percent in 2017 to 2018, and stood at 40.3 percent in 2021 to 2023.

Severe obesity has grown even faster. It rose from 2.8 percent of adults in 1988 to 1994 to 4.7 percent in 1999 to 2000, 7.7 percent in 2013 to 2014 and 9.7 percent in 2021 to 2023, meaning it has more than tripled. The share of adults who are overweight but not obese has stayed broadly stable at around 31 to 35 percent throughout, so the growth in obesity has come mainly from people moving from a healthy weight or overweight into obesity.

How the adult population breaks down by weight

Combining the latest NHANES figures shows how few American adults are at a healthy weight. In 2021 to 2023, 31.7 percent of adults were overweight, 30.6 percent had obesity below the severe threshold and 9.7 percent had severe obesity. That leaves about 28 percent at a healthy weight or underweight. In other words, roughly 7 in 10 US adults are overweight or have obesity.

Only about 28 percent at a healthy weight: 31.7 percent of US adults are overweight, 30.6 percent have obesity and 9.7 percent have severe obesity.

Obesity by age, sex and education

Obesity peaks in middle age. In 2021 to 2023, 46.4 percent of adults aged 40 to 59 had obesity, compared with 35.5 percent of those aged 20 to 39 and 38.9 percent of those aged 60 and over. Men and women had similar obesity rates, at 39.2 percent and 41.3 percent, but women were almost twice as likely to have severe obesity, at 12.1 percent against 6.7 percent for men.

Middle age is the peak: 46.4 percent of adults aged 40 to 59 had obesity, against 35.5 percent of those aged 20 to 39.

Education makes a large difference. Obesity prevalence was 31.6 percent among adults with a bachelor degree or higher, compared with 44.6 percent among those with a high school diploma or less. The latest data are well above the Healthy People 2030 goal of reducing adult obesity to 36.0 percent. The age and sex profile of the population is shown in our data on the US population by sex and age.

Obesity by race and ethnicity

Obesity rates differ widely between racial and ethnic groups. In the most recent period with detailed CDC breakdowns, 2017 to March 2020, obesity prevalence was 49.9 percent among non-Hispanic Black adults, 45.6 percent among Hispanic adults, 41.4 percent among non-Hispanic white adults and 16.1 percent among non-Hispanic Asian adults. These gaps reflect differences in income, access to healthy food, neighbourhood environments, stress and health care, as well as genetic and cultural factors. Population figures are available in our data on the US population by race.

Half of Black adults have obesity: prevalence ranged from 49.9 percent among non-Hispanic Black adults to 16.1 percent among non-Hispanic Asian adults.

Obesity by state

State data come from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which relies on self-reported height and weight and therefore gives somewhat lower figures than NHANES. According to the State of Obesity 2026 report by TFAH, a public health non-profit, based on 2025 BRFSS data, 21 states had adult obesity rates of 35 percent or higher in 2025, up from 19 in 2024 but down from 23 in 2023.

Alabama had the highest adult obesity rate in 2025, at 39.7 percent, followed by North Dakota at 39.1 percent, Kentucky at 38.8 percent and West Virginia at 37.4 percent. The lowest rates were in the District of Columbia, at 24.2 percent, Colorado at 25.7 percent and Hawaii at 26.4 percent. Louisiana and West Virginia recorded statistically significant falls between 2024 and 2025, with Louisiana dropping from 39.2 percent to 35.6 percent.

A 15-point gap between states: adult obesity ranged from 39.7 percent in Alabama to 24.2 percent in the District of Columbia in 2025.

Obesity is highest in the South and Midwest and lowest in the West and Northeast, a pattern that closely follows differences in income, rural living, physical activity and diet. Rural residents generally have higher obesity rates than people in cities.

Obesity among children and adolescents

Childhood obesity has quadrupled over five decades. NHANES data show that the share of US children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 with obesity rose from 5.2 percent in 1971 to 1974 to 10.0 percent in 1988 to 1994, 13.9 percent in 1999 to 2000, 19.3 percent in 2017 to 2018 and 21.1 percent in August 2021 to August 2023, the highest level on record. Severe obesity among children rose from 1.0 percent to 7.0 percent over the same period. A further 15.1 percent of children and adolescents were overweight.

Four times higher than in the 1970s: childhood obesity rose from 5.2 percent in 1971 to 1974 to a record 21.1 percent in 2021 to 2023.

Obesity rises with age through childhood. In 2021 to 2023, 14.9 percent of children aged 2 to 5 had obesity, 22.1 percent of those aged 6 to 11 and 22.9 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 19. Among teenagers, boys were much more affected than girls, at 26.0 percent against 19.6 percent. The global picture for children is covered in our report on child health and nutrition.

Teenage boys most affected: 26.0 percent of boys aged 12 to 19 had obesity in 2021 to 2023, compared with 19.6 percent of girls.

Children from lower-income families are more likely to have obesity. In the 2017 to March 2020 NHANES data, 25.8 percent of children in families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level had obesity, compared with 11.5 percent in families above 350 percent. Children with obesity are more likely to have asthma, sleep apnoea, joint problems, type 2 diabetes and risk factors for heart disease, and to have obesity as adults.

GLP-1 medications and the turning trend

A new class of drugs is changing the picture. GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, were first developed for type 2 diabetes but produce substantial weight loss. According to Gallup, the share of US adults currently taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss rose from 3 percent in 2024 to 11 percent in 2026, and 15 percent have ever used one for that purpose. Awareness of the drugs reached 90 percent in 2026.

Over the same period, self-reported obesity has fallen. Gallup data show adult obesity declining from a record 39.9 percent in 2022 to 37.0 percent in 2025 and 36.8 percent in 2026. Gallup estimated the fall to 2025 represented about 7.6 million fewer adults with obesity. The biggest declines were among the age groups most likely to use GLP-1s: obesity among adults aged 50 to 64 fell 5.0 points to 42.8 percent in 2025, and among those aged 40 to 49 by 4.3 points to 43.3 percent. Gallup figures are self-reported and are not directly comparable with the measured NHANES data.

A rare decline: self-reported adult obesity fell from a record 39.9 percent in 2022 to 36.8 percent in 2026 as GLP-1 use grew.

A KFF poll conducted in October and November 2025 found that 12 percent of all adults were currently taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, diabetes or another condition, and 18 percent had ever taken one. Use was highest among adults aged 50 to 64, at 22 percent, and among people with diabetes, at 45 percent, while only 9 percent of adults aged 65 and over were taking one, partly because Medicare has not covered the drugs for weight loss alone. Cost remains a barrier: 56 percent of users said the drugs were difficult to afford. The industry behind these drugs is covered in our overview of the global pharmaceutical industry.

1 in 8 adults on GLP-1s: 12 percent of US adults were taking a GLP-1 drug in late 2025, rising to 22 percent of those aged 50 to 64 and 45 percent of people with diabetes.

Who takes these drugs, and how, is changing fast. In Gallup data for 2025, GLP-1 use for weight loss was highest among adults aged 50 to 64, at 17.0 percent, and 40 to 49, at 16.2 percent, compared with 11.1 percent among those aged 65 and over, and women were far more likely to use them than men, at 15.2 percent against 9.7 percent. In 2026, 68 percent of current users were taking brand-name products and 19 percent compounded versions, and one third of compounded users said they had switched from a brand-name drug, mainly because of cost.

Stopping treatment is common. In the KFF poll, 14 percent of people who had taken a GLP-1 said they stopped because of cost, 13 percent because of side effects and 5 percent because their condition had improved. Because weight is often regained after stopping, access to affordable long-term treatment is likely to decide how far the recent fall in obesity goes.

The health and economic costs of obesity

Obesity raises the risk of many serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, several types of cancer, fatty liver disease, sleep apnoea and osteoarthritis. According to the CDC, 58 percent of adults with obesity have high blood pressure and about 23 percent have diabetes. Gallup reported that diagnosed diabetes reached a record 13.8 percent of adults in 2025. The wider risk picture is covered in our report on health risk factors in the US.

The financial cost is huge. The CDC estimates that obesity-related medical costs in the United States were nearly 173 billion dollars a year in 2019 dollars. Adults with obesity had medical costs 1,861 dollars a year higher than adults at a healthy weight, and those with severe obesity 3,097 dollars higher. Among children, obesity added about 1.3 billion dollars a year in medical costs. The cost of GLP-1 drugs, which can run to hundreds of dollars a month, has become a major issue for insurers, employers and government health programmes. Food prices also shape diets, as shown in our report on food inflation.

What drives obesity in the US

Obesity has many causes, including diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, medications, genetics and the wider environment in which people live and work. The widespread availability of cheap, energy-dense processed foods, larger portion sizes, car-dependent neighbourhoods and sedentary jobs all make weight gain more likely. Mental health and obesity are closely linked, as discussed in our report on mental health worldwide.

The outlook for obesity in the US

For the first time in decades, the adult obesity trend in the United States may be turning, driven largely by GLP-1 medications. Gallup data show self-reported adult obesity falling from 39.9 percent in 2022 to 36.8 percent in 2026, and the next NHANES survey will show whether measured obesity has also declined. Childhood obesity, however, remains at a record 21.1 percent, and few children are eligible for or taking the new drugs.

Key questions for the years ahead are whether GLP-1 drugs become cheaper and more widely covered by insurers and Medicare, whether people can stay on them long term, and whether prevention efforts can reduce obesity among children. With about 7 in 10 adults overweight or with obesity and costs of more than 170 billion dollars a year, obesity will remain one of the biggest public health challenges in the country. Population context is available in our data on the US population.

Overweight and obesity in the US in numbers

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