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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.