U.S. adult obesity prevalence has dipped slightly year over year, with fewer states reporting obesity rates at or above 35%. However, the nation continues to face a high overall obesity rate.
That’s according to a new report released Oct. 16 by Trust for America’s Health.
Nineteen states had adult obesity rates at or above 35% last year, down from 23 in 2023, according to “The State of Obesity: 2025,” which is based in part on TFAH’s analysis of 2024 CDC data, and recent data from the 2021-2023 “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.”
Still, the analysis found that slightly more than 4 in 10 U.S. adults have obesity, and rates are rising among children and adolescents, with more than 21% of those ages 2 to 19 affected.
Five other findings:
1. States with the highest rates of obesity among adults in 2024 were West Virginia at 41.4%, Mississippi at 40.4%, and Louisiana at 39.2%.
2. States with the lowest were Colorado at 25%, Hawaii at 27% and Massachusetts at 27%, plus the District of Columbia at 25.5%.
3. Obesity rates for Black and Latino adults were 49.9% and 45.6%, respectively.
4. Individuals living in rural communities tend to have higher obesity rates than their counterparts in metropolitan areas.
5. Obesity levels are typically lower among adults with college degrees and for people with higher household incomes.
Trust for America’s Health notes that the findings come as federal funding for certain public health programs remains at risk, and the report includes policy recommendations for both the federal government and states.
Read more about the report here.
