LOCALIZE IT: Obesity remains high in the US, but more states are showing progress, report finds
EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with rates of obesity of 35% or more has dropped, an encouraging sign that America’s epidemic of excess weight might be improving. But cuts to federal staff and programs that address chronic disease could endanger that progress, according to a new report released Thursday.
Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or higher in 2024, down from 23 states the year before, according to an analysis of the latest data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data was analyzed by the nonprofit group Trust for America’s Health.
The group’s analysis follows a CDC report last year that found that the overall rate of obesity in the U.S. is high but holding steady, affecting about 40% of the population.
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 conditions in U.S. states and territories.
It showed that 19 states had obesity rates among adults of 35% or higher, 22 states had rates between 30% and 35% and nine states had obesity rates of below 30%. The rates varied from a low of 25% in Colorado to a high of more than 40% in West Virginia.
Between 2023 and 2024, no state had statistically significant increases or decreases in their obesity rates, after 18 states saw significant increases in the previous five years, the report found.
Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%, By 2019, a dozen states had rates that high — and the number continued to climb.
In adults, obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. Body mass index is a calculation based on height and weight. Obesity is a chronic disease linked to a host of serious health problems including diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease.
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READ AP’S STORY
Obesity remains high in the US, but more states are showing progress, a new report finds
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VIEW THE REPORT
TFAH State of Obesity Report 2025
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FIND YOUR STATE: PLACES THAT DROPPED BELOW 35% These states had of obesity 35% or higher in 2023 but dropped below 35% in the latest report.
Alaska
Illinois
Missouri
New Mexico
South Carolina
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FIND YOUR STATE: PLACES WITH OBESITY RATES OF 35% OR HIGHER
View this AP map showing obesity rates for all states. An embed code for the map can be found at the end of the guide.
Alabama
Arkansas
Delaware
Georgia
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
West Virginia
Wisconsin
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EMBED THIS MAP
Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or higher in 2024 according to an analysis of the latest data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The following digital embed breaks out the obesity population by state. This map is current as of Oct. 15, 2025 and will not update. Source: Trust for America’s Health analysis of BRFSS data
To embed, insert this code into your CMS:
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