Adult Obesity in the United States: Key Facts

Obesity is a serious, common and costly chronic disease. CDC defines it as a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher, and severe obesity as a BMI of 40.0 or higher. More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults have obesity, and many of them also live with other serious chronic diseases.

How common it is

From 2017 to March 2020, 41.9% of U.S. adults aged 20 and older had obesity, and 9.2% had severe obesity — more than 100 million and more than 22 million adults respectively. Both have climbed: obesity from 30.5% in 1999–2000, and severe obesity from 4.7%.

Who is most affected

Obesity affects some groups more than others. In 2017–March 2020:

By age, prevalence was 39.8% among adults aged 20 to 39, 44.3% among those aged 40 to 59, and 41.5% among those 60 and older, but these differences were not statistically significant. CDC's state and territory maps, based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, show how obesity varies across the country.

Serious and expensive

Many adults with obesity have other chronic conditions. Among U.S. adults with obesity, 58% have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease, and about 23% have diabetes.

Obesity is also costly for patients and the health care system. In 2019 dollars, adults with obesity had annual medical costs $1,861 higher per person than adults at a healthy weight, and adults with severe obesity $3,097 higher. CDC puts the total at nearly $173 billion in medical spending, in 2019 dollars.

Person-first language

CDC encourages person-first language when talking about obesity and other chronic diseases — for example, "adults with obesity" rather than "obese adults."

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Adult Obesity Facts": https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html
• The prevalence figures come from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics data brief cited on that page.