West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas are the U.S. states with the highest percentage of their population who are obese. The states with the lowest percentage of their population who are obese include Colorado, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Obesity in the United States Obesity is a growing problem in many countries around the world, but the United States has the highest rate of obesity among all OECD countries. The prevalence of obesity in the United States has risen steadily over the previous two decades, with no signs of declining. Obesity in the U.S. is more common among women than men, and overweight and obesity rates are higher among African Americans than any other race or ethnicity. Causes and health impacts Obesity is most commonly the result of a combination of poor diet, overeating, physical inactivity, and a genetic susceptibility. Obesity is associated with various negative health impacts, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and diabetes type 2. As of 2022, around 8.4 percent of the U.S. population had been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is currently the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.

Surveys in which U.S. adults report their current weight have shown that the share of those reporting they weigh 200 pounds or more has increased over the past few decades. In 2024, around 28 percent of respondents reported their weight as 200 pounds or more, compared to 15 percent in 1990. However, the same surveys show the share of respondents who report they are overweight has decreased compared to figures from 1990. What percentage of the U.S. population is obese? Obesity is an increasing problem in the United States that is expected to become worse in the coming decades. As of 2023, around one third of adults in the United States were considered obese. Obesity is slightly more prevalent among women in the United States, and rates of obesity differ greatly by region and state. For example, in West Virginia, around 41 percent of adults are obese, compared to 25 percent in Colorado. However, although Colorado is the state with the lowest prevalence of obesity among adults, a quarter of the adult population being obese is still shockingly high. The health impacts of being obese Obesity increases the risk of developing a number of health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It is no coincidence that the states with the highest rates of hypertension are also among the states with the highest prevalence of obesity. West Virginia currently has the third highest rate of hypertension in the U.S. with 45 percent of adults with the condition. It is also no coincidence that as rates of obesity in the United States have increased so have rates of diabetes. As of 2022, around 8.4 percent of adults in the United States had been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to six percent in the year 2000. Obesity can be prevented through a healthy diet and regular exercise, which also increases overall health and longevity.

Data on normal weight, overweight, and obesity among adults aged 20 and over by selected population characteristics. Please refer to the PDF or Excel version of this table in the HUS 2019 Data Finder (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/contents2019.htm) for critical information about measures, definitions, and changes over time. SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. For more information on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, see the corresponding Appendix entry at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-appendix-508.pdf.

ObjectiveWe aimed to estimate trends in population-level adult body weight indicators in the 26 state capitals and the Federal District of Brazil.MethodsSelf-reported weight and height data of 572,437 adults were used to estimate the mean body mass index (BMI), and the prevalence of BMI categories ranging from underweight to morbid obesity, in Brazil’s state capitals and Federal District, from 2006 to 2016, by sex. All estimates were standardized by age.ResultsFrom 2006 to 2016, the main findings showed that: (i) the overall mean BMI increased from 25.4 kg/m2 to 26.3 kg/m2 in men, and from 24.5 kg/m2 to 25.8 kg/m2 in women; (ii) the overall prevalence of overweight increased from 48.1% to 57.5% in men, and from 37.8% to 48.2% in women; (iii) the overall prevalence of obesity increased from 11.7% to 18.1% in men, and from 12.1% to 18.8% in women; (iv) in general, the largest increases in overweight and obesity prevalence were found in state capitals located in the north, northeast, and central-west regions of Brazil; (v) the prevalence of severe obesity surpassed the prevalence of underweight in 22 and 9 state capitals among men and women, respectively; and (vi) the mean BMI trend was stable only in Vitória state capital in men.ConclusionsThe policies for preventing and treating obesity in Brazil over the past years were not able to halt the increase in obesity prevalence either in the state capitals or the Federal District. Thus, a revision of policies is warranted. Furthermore, although policies are necessary in all state capitals, our results suggest that policies are especially necessary in the north, northeast, and central-west regions’ state capitals, where, in general, the largest increases in overweight and obesity prevalence were experienced.

In 2024, the mean average weight reported by men was 195 pounds, while the mean average weight for women was 164 pounds. This statistic shows the mean self-reported weight among U.S. adults from 1990 to 2024, by gender, in pounds.

Data on overweight and obesity among adults aged 20 and over in the United States, by selected characteristics, including sex, age, race, Hispanic origin, and poverty level. Data are from Health, United States. SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Search, visualize, and download these and other estimates from over 120 health topics with the NCHS Data Query System (DQS), available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery/index.htm.

Data on overweight and obesity among adults aged 20 and over in the United States, by selected characteristics, including sex, age, race, Hispanic origin, and poverty level. Data are from Health, United States. SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Search, visualize, and download these and other estimates from over 120 health topics with the NCHS Data Query System (DQS), available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery/index.htm.

This statistic depicts the average male body weight of U.S. adults aged 20 years and over from 1999 to 2016. According to the data, the average male body weight for those aged 40-59 years was ***** in 1999-2000 and increased to ***** as of 2015-2016.

This dataset tracks the updates made on the dataset "Normal weight, overweight, and obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by selected characteristics: United States" as a repository for previous versions of the data and metadata.

This dataset tracks the updates made on the dataset "DEV DQS Normal weight, overweight, and obesity among adults aged 20 and over, by selected characteristics: United States" as a repository for previous versions of the data and metadata.

In 2023, Black adults had the highest obesity rates of any race or ethnicity in the United States, followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics. As of that time, around ** percent of all Black adults were obese. Asians/Pacific Islanders had by far the lowest obesity rates. Obesity in the United States Obesity is a present and growing problem in the United States. An astonishing ** percent of the adult population in the U.S. is now considered obese. Obesity rates can vary substantially by state, with around ** percent of the adult population in West Virginia reportedly obese, compared to ** percent of adults in Colorado. The states with the highest rates of obesity include West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Diabetes Being overweight and obese can lead to a number of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin properly, causing blood sugar levels to rise. It is estimated that just over ***** percent of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for ***** percent of all deaths.

These data are from the 2013 California Dietary Practices Surveys (CDPS), 2012 California Teen Eating, Exercise and Nutrition Survey (CalTEENS), and 2013 California Children’s Healthy Eating and Exercise Practices Surveys (CalCHEEPS). These surveys have been discontinued. Adults, adolescents, and children (with parental assistance) were asked for their current height and weight, from which, body mass index (BMI) was calculated. For adults, a BMI of 30.0 and above is considered obese. For adolescents and children, obesity is defined as having a BMI at or above the 95th percentile, according to CDC growth charts.

The California Dietary Practices Surveys (CDPS), the California Teen Eating, Exercise and Nutrition Survey (CalTEENS), and the California Children’s Healthy Eating and Exercise Practices Surveys (CalCHEEPS) (now discontinued) were the most extensive dietary and physical activity assessments of adults 18 years and older, adolescents 12 to 17, and children 6 to 11, respectively, in the state of California. CDPS and CalCHEEPS were administered biennially in odd years up through 2013 and CalTEENS was administered biennially in even years through 2014. The surveys were designed to monitor dietary trends, especially fruit and vegetable consumption, among Californias for evaluating their progress toward meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Healthy People 2020 Objectives. All three surveys were conducted via telephone. Adult and adolescent data were collected using a list of participating CalFresh households and random digit dial, and child data were collected using only the list of CalFresh households. Older children (9-11) were the primary respondents with some parental assistance. For younger children (6-8), the primary respondent was parents. Data were oversampled for low-income and African American to provide greater sensitivity for analyzing trends among the target population. Wording of the question used for these analyses varied by survey (age group). The questions were worded are as follows: Adult:1) How tall are you without shoes?2) How much do you weigh?Adolescent:1) About how much do you weigh without shoes?2) About how tall are you without shoes? Child:1) How tall is [child's name] now without shoes on?2) How much does [child's name] weigh now without shoes on?

Weight loss service providers confront intense competition in a highly saturated and concentrated business environment. Proprietary diet plans have existed for decades, with significant industry players established as far back as the early 1960s. Company performance is influenced by domestic population growth, favorable economic conditions and health factors (obesity rate, healthy eating index). Despite the favorable economic conditions following COVID-19, competition from substitutes has stolen consumers. Industry-wide revenue declined at a CAGR of 2.9% to $3.5 billion, falling 0.1% in 2024 alone. As a result, industry profit declined at a similar rate throughout 2024. COVID-19 spurred consolidation and concentration. Larger firms were able to weather the downturn, and smaller establishments exited. Additionally, COVID-19 changed consumers' attitudes toward remote communications. Even though weight loss services have been traditionally in-person, lockdowns changed attitudes. Platforms and mobile technology enabled consumers to engage with others in new novel ways, changing the need for in-person service. Going forward, the continued emphasis on digital platforms will amplify competitive advantages for the most prominent weight loss service providers, causing many more small-scale companies to exit. Yet, regions like the Southeast with a significant obese population will be better served by larger enterprises that can provide better analytics and sophisticated communication modalities. Dominant enterprises may expand, gaining new revenue streams through acquisitions to better meet out-of-market competition products and services (Fitbit, Smartphone apps, social media groups, VR chat rooms.) Nevertheless, revenue will decline at a CAGR of 0.4% to $3.4 billion through the end of 2029.

BackgroundObesity, particularly in high-risk groups for food addiction, adversely impacts the brain’s functional characteristics. However, its underlying neurobiological and molecular mechanisms remain elusive. The current study adopted a data-driven approach to investigate obesity-associated intrinsic functional architecture and neurotransmitter receptor patterns.MethodsResting-state fMRI data were acquired from 198 obese and 291 healthy weight individuals from the Human Connectome Project. Intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) analyses were performed to identify the common altered brain regions and then seeds to whole brain functional connectivity (FC) analyses were conducted to determine obesity-related FC features. Additionally, the relationship between intrinsic functional characteristics and molecular imaging features was assessed to examine neurotransmitter-receptor distribution patterns underlying obesity.ResultsObese individuals, compared to healthy weight individuals, showed aberrant ICC and fALFF in both the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left insula. For the FC results, the obese group displayed increased FC between the right DLPFC and precuneus, left insula and left inferior parietal lobule, right DLPFC as well as decreased FC between right DLPFC and left precentral, left postcentral gyrus, and bilateral paracentral lobule. Additionally, the fALFF alterations in insula/temploral pole and also the rDLPFC-PCL FC partially mediated the relationship between body mass index and the executive function. Furthermore, cross-modal correlation analyses indicated that ICC and fALFF alterations were related to noradrenaline transporter and dopamine receptor distributions, respectively.DiscussionTogether our findings suggested that obesity is associated with atypical neurotransmitter systems and dysfunctional architecture especially in the prefrontal cortex, insula, sensorimotor cortex, and default mode circuits. These may deepen our understanding the neurobiological basis of obesity and provide novel insights into neuroimaging-based treatment and intervention.

BackgroundBody Mass Index (BMI), like most human phenotypes, is substantially heritable. However, BMI is not normally distributed; the skew appears to be structural, and increases as a function of age. Moreover, twin correlations for BMI commonly violate the assumptions of the most common variety of the classical twin model, with the MZ twin correlation greater than twice the DZ correlation. This study aimed to decompose twin correlations for BMI using more general skew-t distributions.MethodsSame sex MZ and DZ twin pairs (N = 7,086) from the community-based Washington State Twin Registry were included. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to decompose twin correlations for BMI into multiple mixture distributions. LPA was performed using the default normal mixture distribution and the skew-t mixture distribution. Similar analyses were performed for height as a comparison. Our analyses are then replicated in an independent dataset.ResultsA two-class solution under the skew-t mixture distribution fits the BMI distribution for both genders. The first class consists of a relatively normally distributed, highly heritable BMI with a mean in the normal range. The second class is a positively skewed BMI in the overweight and obese range, with lower twin correlations. In contrast, height is normally distributed, highly heritable, and is well-fit by a single latent class. Results in the replication dataset were highly similar.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that two distinct processes underlie the skew of the BMI distribution. The contrast between height and weight is in accord with subjective psychological experience: both are under obvious genetic influence, but BMI is also subject to behavioral control, whereas height is not.

United States Livestock & Poultry Live & Dressed Weights: Federally Inspected: Average Dressed: Cattle data was reported at 872.000 lb in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 874.000 lb for Feb 2025. United States Livestock & Poultry Live & Dressed Weights: Federally Inspected: Average Dressed: Cattle data is updated monthly, averaging 614.000 lb from Jan 1921 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 1243 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 877.000 lb in Jan 2025 and a record low of 437.000 lb in Nov 1944. United States Livestock & Poultry Live & Dressed Weights: Federally Inspected: Average Dressed: Cattle data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic Research Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RI015: Livestock and Poultry Live and Dressed Weights.

In 2021, around ** percent of high school students in the state of West Virginia were obese, making it the state with the highest share of obese high school students that year. Colorado and Utah had the lowest obesity rates among students that year. The state with the highest share of obese adults West Virginia not only has the highest rate of obese high school students, it is also the U.S. state with the highest percentage of obese adults, which was about ** percent as of 2023. Obesity remains a growing problem in the United States, especially in the southern states. Body image among college students In the fall of 2024, just over half of U.S. college students (18 years and older) described their weight as “about the right weight”. Over ********* of the respondents stated that they were slightly overweight, while *** percent said they were very overweight. Furthermore, roughly ** percent of college students rated their health as very good, while just ****percent of this group rated their general health as poor.

Model EA3: FC ~ average BMI + change BMI + average logmFD + change logmFD + age + sex

Collection description

Obesity imposes serious health risks and involves alterations in resting-state functional connectivity of brain networks involved in eating behavior. Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment, but its effects on functional connectivity are still under debate. In this pre-registered study, we investigated the effects of bariatric surgery on major resting-state brain networks (reward and default mode network) in a longitudinal controlled design.
33 bariatric surgery patients and 15 obese waiting-list control patients (37 females; aged 44.15 ± 11.86 SD years (range 21-68)) underwent magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, after 6 and 12 months. We conducted a pre-registered whole-brain time-by-group interaction analysis, and a time-by-group interaction analysis on within-network connectivity (https://osf.io/f8tpn/, https://osf.io/59bh7/). In exploratory analyses, we investigated the effects of weight loss and head motion.
Bariatric surgery compared to waiting did not significantly affect functional connectivity (FWE-corrected p > .05), neither whole-brain nor within-network. In exploratory analyses, surgery-related BMI decrease (FWE-corrected p = .041) and higher average head motion (FWE-corrected p = .021) resulted in significantly stronger connectivity of the reward network with medial posterior frontal regions.
This pre-registered well-controlled study did not support a strong effect of bariatric surgery, compared to waiting, on major resting-state brain networks after 6 months. Exploratory analyses indicated that head motion might have confounded the effects. Data pooling and more rigorous control of within-scanner head motion during data acquisition are needed to substantiate effects of bariatric surgery on brain organization.

Subject species

homo sapiens

Modality

fMRI-BOLD

Analysis level

group

Cognitive paradigm (task)

rest eyes closed

Map type

Z

Interaction between vending machine access and student weight loss, gender, race/ethnicity, and home food access. a AME  =  Average marginal effect; average difference in outcome of interest associated with presence of vending machines that sell sugar-sweetened beverages in school. b Adjusted for race/ethnicity, sex, grade, state median income, Census region, and home food access. (DOCX)

The low birth-weight rate measures the percentage of live births with weights below 2500 grams. A low birth-weight can affect health outcomes later in life, and is an illustrative indicator for the overall health of the measured population.

The low birth-weight rate in Champaign County has been above 8 percent since 2011, the earliest Reporting Year available in the dataset. This is close to the statewide rate, which returned to 8.4 percent from Reporting Year 2021 through present after a slight decrease in recent years. The lowest county low birth-weight rate in the state is 5.6 percent (Carroll County in the northwest corner of the state), while the highest county low birth-weight rate in the state is 11.9 percent (Pulaski County in southernmost Illinois).

This data was sourced from the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute's and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Each year’s County Health Rankings uses data from years prior. Therefore, the 2023 County Health Rankings (“Reporting Year” in the table) uses data from 2014-2020 (“Data Years” in the table).

Source: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 2023.