Severe Obesity Continues To Rise in the U.S.

Severe obesity throughout the U.S. continues to rise, a new study from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows.
On Tuesday, the U.S. CDC published a report on the prevalence of severe obesity in the U.S. finding that the number of women with the condition is increasing.
A 2021-2023 survey of around 6,000 individuals found that the obesity rate in the United States stands at approximately 40 percent, according to the CDC. Nearly one in 10 participants reported being severely obese, with women being almost twice as likely as men to fall into this category, the survey revealed.
The overall obesity rate showed a slight decrease compared to the 2017-2020 survey. However, this change wasn’t statistically significant, meaning the difference is small enough that it could be due to chance rather than a true decline, according to researchers.
According to Dr. Samuel Emmerich, a CDC public health officer who led the study, it’s still too early to tell if new obesity treatments, including popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, will have a meaningful impact on the epidemic. The chronic disease remains tied to a range of serious health issues, and more time is needed to determine whether these drugs can help slow its spread.
“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,” Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said with the report. “Obesity prevention at young ages is critical, because we know that children with obesity often become adults with obesity. This is one of the reasons why we prioritize state and community investments in effective child care and family healthy weight programs.”
The most striking finding is that the overall U.S. obesity rate has remained largely unchanged over the past decade, despite a steady rise in severe obesity. Federal surveys show the rate of severe obesity has jumped from nearly 8 percent in the 2013-2014 survey to almost 10 percent in the most recent data. This follows a period of rapid increases in obesity rates that began in the 1990s.
Obesity and severe obesity are measured using body mass index (BMI), a calculation based on a person’s height and weight. A BMI of 30 or above qualifies as obesity, while a BMI of 40 or higher is classified as severe obesity. Despite being widely criticized as an imperfect metric, BMI is still commonly used by doctors to assess obesity risk.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press