For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with rates of obesity of 35% or more has dropped, an encouraging sign that America's epidemic of excess weight might be improving. Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or higher in 2024, down from 23 states the year before, according to an analysis of the latest data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data was analyzed by the nonprofit group Trust for America's Health, reports the AP. While the decline is positive, "it's too soon to call it a trend," said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and chief executive for TFAH.
The group's analysis follows a CDC report last year that found that the overall rate of obesity in the US is high but holding steady, affecting about 40% of the population. The latest report analyzed data from the CDC's 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which uses annual telephone surveys to collect data on health behaviors and chronic conditions in US states and territories. It showed that 19 states had obesity rates among adults of 35% or higher, 22 states had rates between 30% and 35%, and nine states had obesity rates of below 30%. The rates varied from a low of 25% in Colorado to a high of more than 40% in West Virginia. Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%.
It's not clear exactly what may be driving the apparent improvements in obesity. Wider use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound—which target appetite and slow digestion—could be starting to show up in reported data, said Aviva Musicus, a science director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. Increased support for nutrition assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic might also be a factor, she suggested. (In adults, obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. Some are lobbying to change that definition.)
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