(NEXSTAR) — The number of states with high adult obesity rates has dropped for the first time in more than a decade, a new report released Thursday found.
The nonprofit Trust for America’s Health analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and determined that in 19 states, the adult obesity rate was at or above 35% in 2024. While still high, that’s down from 23 states in 2023.
In 2012, no state’s adult obesity rate was at or above the 35% benchmark. By 2019, a dozen states had rates that high — and the number continued to climb.
Obesity is a chronic disease linked to a host of serious health problems including diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease, that is defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more in adults. BMI is a calculation that divides a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. (Experts warn, however, that BMI is not the best measure for varying body structures.)
The states with the highest obesity rates were found throughout the Plains, the South, and into the Midwest, while coastal states primarily had lower rates. West Virginia had the highest rates of obesity among adults at 41.4%, according to the Trust for America’s Health, while Colorado had the lowest rates at 25%.
The interactive map below shows the percentage of adults with obesity based on data released in Thursday’s report.
