New population data from 2022 show 22 states have an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%, compared to 19 states in 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Just ten years ago, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. The 2022 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps highlight the need for population-based interventions to ensure that all people have access to healthy foods, safe places for physical activity, stigma-free obesity prevention and treatment programs, and evidence-based health care services such as medication and surgery.
The 22 states with an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35% include: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The 2022 maps show that obesity impacts some groups more than others. There are notable differences by race and ethnicity, as shown by combined data from 2020–2022. Among geographic groups (states, territories, or DC) with enough data, the number with an adult obesity prevalence of 35% or higher, by race/ethnicity, is:
- American Indian or Alaska Native adults: 33 (among 47 states)
- Asian adults: 0 (among 37 states, 1 territory, and DC)
- Black adults: 38 (among 48 states and DC)
- Hispanic adults: 32 (among 49 states, 2 territories, and DC)
- White adults: 14 (among 49 states, 1 territory, and DC)
State-based adult obesity prevalence by race, ethnicity, and location is based on self-reported height and weight data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
