The prevalence of obesity among adults has slightly decreased in the United States but remains higher than 10 years ago, new federal data shows. Among adults aged 20 and older, about 40.3% were estimated to be obese between August 2021 and August 2023, according to a report released early Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics.
This is lower than the 41.9% estimated to be obese between 2017 and 2020 but higher than the 37.7% figure recorded from 2013 to 2014.
Meanwhile, rates of severe obesity increased from 9.2% between 2017 and 2020 to 9.7% between August 2021 and August 2023.
Between 2013 and 2014, an estimated 7.7% of adults were severely obese. This means more than 100 million American adults have obesity, and more than 20 million adults have severe obesity, according to figures from the U.
S. Census Bureau. Dr.
John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital, and an ABC News contributor, said that although the data show a short-term slowdown of obesity rates, the prevalence is still quite high and higher than seen 10 years ago. The latest data reveals a persistent challenge with obesity rates holding steady at 40.3% among adults," he said.
"While this does not represent an increase, it is important to recognize that these rates are still alarmingly high -- higher than they were a decade ago -- underscoring the urgent need for targeted public health strategies..
