Obesity, a common and costly health issue that increases risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, affects more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of youth in the United States. By the numbers, 78 million adults and 12 million children are obese—figures many regard as an epidemic. Adults are considered obese when they are about 35 pounds overweight. In 2013, obesity rates among American adults remained high. No state has an obesity rate below 21 percent and rates have risen in six states—Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Wyoming. In two states obesity rates now exceed 35 percent for the first time and 20 states have obesity rates at or above 30 percent.

Prevalence* of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults by State, BRFSS, 2013

Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults BRFSS, 2013 STATE % STATE % Alabama 32.4 Missouri 30.4 Alaska 28.4 Montana 24.6 Arizona 26.8 Nebraska 29.6 Arkansas 34.6 Nevada 26.2 California 24.1 New Hampshire 26.7 Colorado 21.3 New Jersey 26.3 Connecticut 25.0 New Mexico 26.4 Delaware 31.1 New York 25.4 District of Columbia 22.9 North Carolina 29.4 Florida 26.4 North Dakota 31.0 Georgia 30.3 Ohio 30.4 Hawaii 21.8 Oklahoma 32.5 Idaho 29.6 Oregon 26.5 Illinois 29.4 Pennsylvania 30.0 Indiana 31.8 Rhode Island 27.3 Iowa 31.3 South Carolina 31.7 Kansas 30.0 South Dakota 29.9 Kentucky 33.2 Tennessee 33.7 Louisiana 33.1 Texas 30.9 Maine 28.9 Utah 24.1 Maryland 28.3 Vermont 24.7 Massachusetts 23.6 Virginia 27.2 Michigan 31.5 Washington 27.2 Minnesota 25.5 West Virginia 35.1 Mississippi 35.1 Wisconsin 29.8 Wyoming 27.8

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults BRFSS, 2012 STATE % STATE % Alabama 33.0 Missouri 29.6 Alaska 25.7 Montana 24.3 Arizona 26.0 Nebraska 28.6 Arkansas 34.5 Nevada 26.2 California 25.0 New Hampshire 27.3 Colorado 20.5 New Jersey 24.6 Connecticut 25.6 New Mexico 27.1 Delaware 26.9 New York 23.6 District of Columbia 21.9 North Carolina 29.6 Florida 25.2 North Dakota 29.7 Georgia 29.1 Ohio 30.1 Hawaii 23.6 Oklahoma 32.2 Idaho 26.8 Oregon 27.3 Illinois 28.1 Pennsylvania 29.1 Indiana 31.4 Rhode Island 25.7 Iowa 30.4 South Carolina 31.6 Kansas 29.9 South Dakota 28.1 Kentucky 31.3 Tennessee 31.1 Louisiana 34.7 Texas 29.2 Maine 28.4 Utah 24.3 Maryland 27.6 Vermont 23.7 Massachusetts 22.9 Virginia 27.4 Michigan 31.1 Washington 26.8 Minnesota 25.7 West Virginia 33.8 Mississippi 34.6 Wisconsin 29.7 Wyoming 24.6

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC.

Prevalence reflects BRFSS methodological changes in 2011, and these estimates should not be compared to obesity prevalence before 2011.

To view a CDC powerpoint presentation on obesity trends over the last ten years, click here and scroll down the page.

Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents ages 2-19 years Age (years)1

1963-65

1966-702

1971-74

1976-80

1988-94

1999-2000

2001-02

2003-04 2-5 - 5% 5% 7.2% 10.3% 10.6% 13.9% 6-11 4.2% 4% 6.5% 11.3% 15.1% 16.3% 18.8% 12-19 4.6% 6.1% 5% 10.5% 14.8% 16.7% 17.4%

1Excludes pregnant women starting with 1971-74. Pregnancy status not available for 1963-65 and 1966-70.

2Data for 1963-65 are for children 6-11 years of age; data for 1966-70 are for adolescents 12-17 years of age, not 12-19 years.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, NHANES

State-Level Estimated Annual Obesity-Attributable Expenditures, by State (2009) State (Millions $) Alabama $2505 Alaska $459 Arizona $2113 Arkansas $1,254 California $15,223 Colorado $1,637 Connecticut $1,719 Delaware $592 District of Columbia $500 Florida $8,079 Georgia $4,226 Hawaii $470 Idaho $550 Illinois $6,368 Indiana $3,520 Iowa $1,435 Kansas $1,327 Kentucky $2,372 Louisiana $2,383 Maine $767 Maryland $3,032 Massachusetts $3,511 Michigan $5,349 Minnesota $2,800 Mississippi $1,586 Missouri $3,196 Montana $379 Nebraska $1,002 Nevada $1,048 New Hampshire $594 New Jersey $4,447 New Mexico $663 New York $11,114 North Carolina $4,599 North Dakota $371 Ohio $6,896 Oklahoma $1,721 Oregon $1,678 Pennsylvania $6,997 Puerto Rico Rhode Island $566 South Carolina $2,291 South Dakota $409 Tennessee $3,656 Texas $10,262 Utah $953 Vermont $291 Virginia $3,387 Washington $2,977 West Virginia $1,171 Wisconsin $3,078 Wyoming $203



Source: Trogdon, Finkelstein, Feagan, and Cohen, 2011.



Reference:

Trogdon, JG, Finkelstein, EA, Feagan, CW, Cohen JW. State- and payer-specific estimates of annual medical expenditures attributable to obesity.Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 Jan;20(1):214-20. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.169. Epub 2011 June 16.

Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health chronic conditions, including the following:

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

Type 2 diabetes

Heart disease

Stroke

Gallbladder disease

Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

Some cancers (pancreas, kidney, prostate, endometrial, breast, and colon)

Reference

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, [2001]. Available from: US GPO, Washington.