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.

In 2021, almost 19 percent of high school students in Georgia were overweight. This statistic depicts the share of overweight high school students in the United States in 2021, sorted by state.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Fats and Oils by Education: High School Graduate with Some College (CXUFATSOILSLB1305M) from 1995 to 2012 about no college, fat, secondary schooling, secondary, oil, expenditures, education, and USA.

About a fifth of Hispanic high school students in the United States were overweight between 2016 and 2017, making it the ethnic group with the highest percentage of overweight high school students. Female obesity rates were considerably higher than those of male students for the black and Hispanic groups during the measured period.

Overweight and obese U.S. adults

U.S. overweight rates in adults differed slightly from those of U.S. high school students in 2017. That year, the African American population had the highest overweight and obesity rates of any race or ethnicity, closely followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics. Over 73 percent of all African American adults in the country were either overweight or obese. In 2018, the highest rates of obesity among African Americans could be found in states, such as Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

Overweight youth worldwide

Many children and adolescents in other countries, such as New Zealand, Greece, and Italy, also struggle with overweight and obesity. In New Zealand, for example, over forty percent of boys and girls, up to age 19, were overweight or obese in 2016. In the same year, less than ten percent of Indian children and teenagers were overweight.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Fats and Oils by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: Less Than High School Graduate (CXUFATSOILSLB1403M) from 2012 to 2023 about no college, fat, secondary schooling, secondary, oil, education, expenditures, and USA.

In the United States, the rate of obesity is lower among college graduates compared to those who did not graduate from college. For example, in 2023, around 27 percent of college graduates were obese, while 36 percent of those with some college or technical school were obese. At that time, rates of obesity were highest among those with less than a high school education, at around 37 percent. Income and obesity As with education level, there are also differences in rates of obesity in the United States based on income. Adults in the U.S. with an annual income of 75,000 U.S. dollars or more have the lowest rates of obesity, with around 29 percent of this population obese in 2023. On the other hand, those earning less than 15,000 U.S. dollars per year had the highest rates of obesity at that time, at 37 percent. One reason for this disparity may be a lack of access to fresh food among those earning less, as cheap food in the United States tends to be unhealthier. What is the most obese state? As of 2023, the states with the highest rates of obesity were West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. At that time, around 41 percent of adults in West Virginia were obese. The states with the lowest rates of obesity were Colorado, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Still, around a quarter of adults in Colorado were obese in 2023. West Virginia and Mississippi are also the states with the highest rates of obesity among high school students. Children with obesity are more likely to be obese as adults and are at increased risk of health conditions such as asthma, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea.

In 2022, the U.S. states with the highest rates of obesity among women were Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At that time, almost ** percent of women in Tennessee were considered obese. The states with the highest rates of obesity among men are West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Obesity: Women vs. men As of 2023, women in the United States had slightly higher rates of obesity than men. At that time, around **** percent of women were considered obese, compared to **** percent of men. Rates of obesity among both men and women are higher in the United States than any other OECD country, with high-calorie diets, often from fast food and sugary drinks, and large food portion sizes being partly to blame. In 2024, the mean self-reported weight among men in the United States was *** pounds, while women reported weighing an average of *** pounds. Which state is the most obese? As of 2023, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adult obesity in the United States, with around ** percent of the population considered obese. Following West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, had some of the highest rates of obesity in the country. Colorado had the lowest share of adults who were obese at that time, but still, ********* of adults in the state were obese. West Virginia is also the state with the highest prevalence of obesity among high school students, with ** percent of high schoolers considered obese in 2021. Obesity in childhood is associated with obesity as adults, as well as mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.