For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with obesity rate a decline of 35% or more, an encouraging sign that America's obesity epidemic may be improving. But it's reduced to federal personnel and programs Tackling chronic disease in this way could jeopardize that progress, according to a new report released Thursday.
Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or higher in 2024, up from 23 states the year before, according to an analysis of the latest data compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data was analyzed by the nonprofit group Trust for America's Health.
Group analysis follows CDC report from last year The study found that overall obesity rates in the United States are high but stable, affecting about 40% of the population.
While the decline is positive, “it's too early to call it a trend,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of TFAH.
And with recent federal funding cuts, employee layoffs and program cancellations, “that potential progress is also at risk,” Gracia said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an email that the administration is “encouraged by new data showing progress in the fight against obesity.”
“We are restructuring public health programs to eliminate waste, cut bureaucracy and redirect resources toward real prevention,” spokesman Andrew Nixon said.
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 disease in U.S. states and territories.
The study found that 19 states had adult obesity rates of 35% or higher, 22 states had rates between 30% and 35%, and nine states had rates below 30%. Rates ranged from 25% in Colorado to 40% in West Virginia.
The report found that no state saw a statistically significant increase or decrease in obesity rates between 2023 and 2024, after 18 states saw significant increases over the previous five years.
Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity rate higher than 35%. By 2019, a dozen states had such high rates, and the number continued to grow.
In adults, obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher. Body mass index is a calculation based on height and weight. Obesity is a chronic disease that is associated with a variety of serious health problems, including diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease.
It is unclear what exactly may be responsible for the apparent improvement in obesity rates. Increased use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, which affect appetite and slow digestion, may begin to show up in published data, said Aviva Musicus, scientific director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group. Increased support for nutrition assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic could also be a factor, she said.
The report also details a wide range of federal, state and local efforts to improve diet and physical activity, said Solveig Cunningham, a global health expert at Emory University who specializes in obesity.
“I think the report will argue that some of these measures may actually be successful,” said Cunningham, who was not involved in the study. “This suggests that there may be ways in which we could prevent obesity at the population level, which would be a very big deal indeed.”
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