Obesity prevalence among US adults falls slightly to 40%, remains higher than 10 years ago: CDC

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."

The prevalence of severe obesity was higher among women at 12.7% compared to 6.7% for men.

Among age groups, the prevalence of obesity was highest among adults between ages 40 and 59 at 46.4%. By comparison, the prevalence in adults between ages 20 and 39 was 35.5% and among those aged 60 and older was 38.9%. This pattern was seen in both men and women, according to the report.

Severe obesity prevalence was also highest among those aged 40 to 59 at 12% compared to 9.5% for those aged 20 to 29 and 6.6% for those aged 60 and older.

When it came to prevalence by education level, those with a bachelor's degree or more had the lowest prevalence of obesity at 31.6% between August 2021 and August 2023.

There were no significant differences between men and women in obesity prevalence by education level, the report found.

Adults with obesity are at high risk of other chronic diseases. About 58% of obese adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure and about 23% have diabetes, according to the CDC.

Additionally, obesity can put a strain on the health care system. In 2019, the annual medical costs for adults with obesity were $1,861 higher per person than for adults with healthy weight. For those with severe obesity, excess costs were $3,097 per person, the CDC said.

"While there are some differences across demographics, this work really highlights that obesity is a broad health issue in the U.S. and that men, women, young and old are all affected," Brownstein said. "Comprehensive approaches are essential to support individuals and communities in achieving healthier lifestyles."