Imagine a nation where nearly half of all adults are medically obese, a staggering reality reflected in the fact that over 42% of U.S. adults now live with this condition, a number that has climbed relentlessly from just 30.5% at the turn of the millennium.
Key Takeaways
- In 2017-2018, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4% among U.S. adults aged 20 and over
- Severe obesity affected 9.2% of U.S. adults in 2017-2018
- Obesity prevalence increased from 30.5% in 1999-2000 to 41.9% in 2017-2018 among U.S. adults
- In 2020, 42% of U.S. adults aged 18+ had obesity per NHANES
- Non-Hispanic Black females had 56.9% obesity rate in 2017-2018
- Hispanic males obesity at 45.7% vs non-Hispanic white at 42.2% in 2017-18
- Obesity causes 2.8 million deaths annually worldwide, but U.S. contributes 300,000
- Obese U.S. adults have 50-100% increased risk of premature death
- Type 2 diabetes risk 7 times higher in obese U.S. adults
- Annual medical costs of obesity $173 billion in U.S. 2019 dollars
- Per obese adult medical costs $1,861 higher yearly than normal weight
- Obesity accounts for 21% U.S. health care spending
- Obesity prevalence rose from 13% in 1960s to 42% 2020
- Adult obesity doubled from 15% 1976-80 to 34% 2008
- Childhood obesity tripled since 1970s to 19% 2020
Over 42% of American adults now have obesity, a number that has soared since 1999.
Demographics
- In 2020, 42% of U.S. adults aged 18+ had obesity per NHANES
- Non-Hispanic Black females had 56.9% obesity rate in 2017-2018
- Hispanic males obesity at 45.7% vs non-Hispanic white at 42.2% in 2017-18
- Women aged 40-59 had highest obesity at 43.3% in 2017-2018
- Low-income women obesity prevalence 48.4% in 2016 data
- Rural U.S. adults obesity 32.6% vs 28.8% urban in 2018
- Non-Hispanic Asian adults lowest obesity at 16.1% in 2017-2018
- Mexican-American women obesity 45.6% in NHANES 2011-16
- Men with less than high school education 44.3% obese in 2016
- Obesity in pregnant U.S. women 29.5% pre-pregnancy in 2019
- American Indian/Alaska Native adults 48.4% obesity in 2013-16
- Southern region highest obesity at 34.9% adults in 2016
- Ages 20-39 men obesity 40.3%, women 39.7% in 2015-16
- College graduates 31.6% obese vs 40.9% high school grads in 2015
- Hispanic children aged 2-19 obesity 26.2% in 2015-16
- Non-Hispanic Black children 24.0% obesity aged 2-19 in 2017-20
- Boys aged 6-11 obesity 20.7% vs girls 19.0% in 2017-20
- Low-income children 2-5 years obesity 15.2% in 2020
- Urban children obesity higher at 22.4% vs rural 19.1% in 2019
- Pacific Islander adults obesity 43.2% in multi-state survey 2018
- Women in Midwest U.S. obesity 39.8% in BRFSS 2020
- Men aged 60+ obesity 42.3% highest male group 2017-18
- Non-Hispanic white females 41.1% obesity in 2017-2018
- High school non-graduates women 49.2% obese 2016 data
- Asian children lowest obesity 9.0% aged 2-19 2017-20
- Northeast U.S. adults obesity 30.7% lowest regional 2016
- Lesbian/gay adults higher obesity 31.7% vs straight 27.4% 2015-17
- Transgender adults obesity 47.6% in 2015 BRFSS
- Veterans U.S. obesity 35.2% vs civilians 31.1% 2019-20
- Single mothers households children obesity 28.5% higher risk 2021
Demographics Interpretation
America's weight problem is a stark and inequitable reality where one's zip code, paycheck, and background are often stronger predictors of health than personal choice.
Economic Burden
- Annual medical costs of obesity $173 billion in U.S. 2019 dollars
- Per obese adult medical costs $1,861 higher yearly than normal weight
- Obesity accounts for 21% U.S. health care spending
- $260 billion yearly productivity losses from obesity 2008 est.
- Obese workers 1.7x more absenteeism days yearly
- Childhood obesity costs U.S. $14 billion yearly medical
- Medicare obesity spending $38 billion annually 2016
- Medicaid obese beneficiaries cost $4,000 more per year
- Employer costs for obese employees $1,500 higher premiums
- Severe obesity adds $3,871 per person medical costs yearly
- Obesity-related disability claims cost $8 billion yearly
- Workers comp claims 3.1x higher for obese employees
- Lost wages from obesity $4.3 billion annually U.S.
- Bariatric surgery saves $7,000 per patient yearly post-op
- Diabetes from obesity costs $237 billion yearly U.S.
- Heart disease obesity costs $192.6 billion annually
- Cancer treatment for obesity-linked $147 billion over decade
- 9.1% GDP loss potential if obesity halved by 2050
- Obese women maternity costs 33% higher $5,500 avg
- Truck drivers obese 69% costing $7 billion fuel inefficiency
- Military readiness impacted, $1.5 billion obesity-related losses
- Pharmacotherapy for obesity $2.7 billion yearly spending
- Future obesity costs projected $1.2 trillion by 2020 est.
- State-level obesity costs avg $6.5 billion per state yearly
- Absenteeism from obesity 77 million lost workdays yearly
- Presenteeism losses $506 per obese worker annually
Economic Burden Interpretation
Obesity, currently swallowing over a fifth of our healthcare dollars while siphoning productivity, is essentially the nation's most persistent and expensive dinner guest who also has a terrible habit of calling in sick and crashing the company fleet.
Health Consequences
- Obesity causes 2.8 million deaths annually worldwide, but U.S. contributes 300,000
- Obese U.S. adults have 50-100% increased risk of premature death
- Type 2 diabetes risk 7 times higher in obese U.S. adults
- 90% of type 2 diabetes cases in U.S. linked to overweight/obesity
- Obese individuals 2-3 times more likely to develop heart disease
- Stroke risk increases 64% with obesity in U.S. adults
- Obese Americans have 112,000 excess coronary deaths yearly
- 42% increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal obese women
- Colon cancer risk 30% higher in obese U.S. men
- Endometrial cancer 2-4 times riskier for obese women
- Obese adults 55% more likely osteoarthritis knee replacement
- Sleep apnea prevalence 70% in severely obese U.S. adults
- Fatty liver disease affects 70-90% of obese Americans
- Gallbladder disease risk 3-fold in obese women
- Obese children 5 times higher asthma risk in U.S.
- GERD symptoms 2 times more common in obese adults
- Kidney disease risk doubled with obesity per U.S. data
- Obese mothers 2-3 times gestational diabetes risk
- Childhood obesity triples adult diabetes risk
- Obese adults COVID-19 hospitalization 113% higher risk 2021
- Severe obesity increases COVID death risk 60% in U.S.
- 300,000 U.S. deaths yearly attributable to obesity
- Obese smokers lung cancer risk 15 times higher
- Dementia risk 30-40% higher in midlife obese
- Obese pregnant women C-section 50% more likely
- PCOS affects 70-80% obese women with condition
- Obese adults depression risk 55% higher
- Childhood obesity hypertension risk 4-fold increase
- Obesity-related cancers 40% of U.S. diagnoses
Health Consequences Interpretation
The United States is pioneering a uniquely American tragedy, where the pursuit of happiness has been fatally confused with the consumption of portion sizes, turning our dinner plates into actuarial tables and our national waistline into a grim public health crisis.
Prevalence
- In 2017-2018, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4% among U.S. adults aged 20 and over
- Severe obesity affected 9.2% of U.S. adults in 2017-2018
- Obesity prevalence increased from 30.5% in 1999-2000 to 41.9% in 2017-2018 among U.S. adults
- In 2020, 41.9% of U.S. adults had obesity based on BMI ≥30 kg/m²
- Among U.S. adolescents aged 12-19, obesity prevalence was 22.4% in 2017-2020
- Childhood obesity affected 19.7% of children aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020
- In 2022, 36.3% of high school students in the U.S. were overweight or obese
- Obesity rates in U.S. adults reached 42.5% in 2021-2023 NHANES data
- 13.9% of U.S. preschool-aged children (2-5 years) had obesity in 2018-2020
- In Southern U.S. states, adult obesity prevalence exceeded 35% in 2022
- 78.5 million U.S. adults were obese in 2020 estimates
- Obesity prevalence was 49.6% in 12 states in 2023 CDC data
- 20.6% of U.S. children aged 6-11 had obesity in 2017-2020
- Adult obesity in non-Hispanic Black Americans was 49.9% in 2017-2018
- 40.2% of U.S. men aged 20+ had obesity in 2017-2018
- 41.6% of U.S. women aged 20+ had obesity in 2017-2018
- Severe obesity in women was 14.3% vs 6.9% in men in 2017-2018
- Obesity among low-income U.S. adults was 45.2% in recent surveys
- 32.1% of U.S. adults with college degrees had obesity vs 53.2% without
- In 2023, 1 in 3 U.S. adults (about 100 million) had obesity
- Pediatric obesity rates hit 22% nationally in 2022 youth risk data
- 42% of Americans aged 20-39 had obesity in 2017-2020
- 44.3% obesity in ages 40-59, highest group in 2021-2023
- 43.3% in ages 60+ U.S. adults obese per NHANES 2021-23
- West Virginia had 41% adult obesity prevalence in 2022
- Colorado lowest at 25% adult obesity in 2022
- 37.3% of U.S. adults self-reported obesity in 2022 BRFSS
- 14 states had ≥35% adult obesity in 2020
- 5.7 million U.S. children aged 6-11 obese in 2020
- Obesity in U.S. military personnel rose to 17.5% in 2021
Prevalence Interpretation
We have, as a nation, perfected the art of expansion, now encompassing nearly half our adults and a quarter of our youth within an ever-widening waistline, proving that our most relentless growth industry is not tech or real estate, but ourselves.
Trends
- Obesity prevalence rose from 13% in 1960s to 42% 2020
- Adult obesity doubled from 15% 1976-80 to 34% 2008
- Childhood obesity tripled since 1970s to 19% 2020
- Severe obesity quadrupled 1988-2014 to 8%
- Post-2000 plateau then rise to 42% adults 2016-20
- COVID-19 saw 2.7% obesity increase in U.S. adults 2020
- Youth obesity up 5.6% during pandemic 2018-21
- Black adult obesity up 5.8% 2016-20 vs others stable
- Hispanic obesity rose 8.2% 2011-18 fastest group
- Low-income obesity decline slight 2011-16 then stall
- Rural obesity up 8% faster than urban 2001-17
- College-educated obesity stable at 30% while others rise
- Southern states obesity up 30% since 2000
- Bariatric surgeries increased 800% 1998-2006 to 113k/year
- Anti-obesity med prescriptions up 300% 2012-22
- School BMI screening led to 2% decline in some states 2010s
- Soda tax cities saw 22% purchase drop, obesity slow 2010s
- Adult obesity steady 2003-12 then up post-recession
- Children 2-5 obesity halved 2008-14 from 14% to 8.9%
- Adolescent obesity up from 5% 1980 to 22% 2020
- Female severe obesity doubled 1999-2014 to 15.5%
- Male obesity linear rise every decade since 1960
- Post-COVID weight gain avg 1.5kg adults U.S. 2020-21
- Ozempic-like GLP-1 use up 400% 2022 obesity treatment
- Workplace wellness programs reduced obesity 1.5% 2010s trials
- National obesity rate projected 51% by 2030 if trends hold
- Child obesity forecast 57% by 2020 averted partially
- State disparities widened 20% since 1990
- Fitness tracker use correlated 2% obesity drop young adults 2010s
Trends Interpretation
America has spent decades perfecting the art of expanding its waistline, and the data, from our quadrupled severe obesity to our pandemic pounds, suggests we are tragically succeeding—with surgical and pharmaceutical interventions now racing to keep up with the consequences of our collective habits.
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