Adult Obesity Facts

At a glance

  • Obesity is a serious, common, and costly chronic disease. More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults have obesity.
  • Obesity affects some groups more than others, including non-Hispanic Black adults and adults with less education.
  • Many adults with obesity have other serious chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.
  • Obesity accounts for nearly $173 billion in medical expenditures in 2019 dollars.
Portrait of an older, Hispanic man wearing a purple button-down shirt.

Many U.S. adults have obesity

The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults was 41.9% during 2017–March 2020. During the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity among U.S. adults was 9.2%.

The prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% in 1999-20001 to 41.9% in 2017–March 2020. During the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%.

Note: Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. Severe obesity is defined as having a BMI of 40.0 or higher.

Obesity Prevalence Maps‎

View adult obesity prevalence by U.S. state and territory, based on data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Obesity affects some groups more than others

In 2017–March 2020, non-Hispanic Black adults had the highest obesity prevalence (49.9%) followed by Hispanic (45.6%), non-Hispanic White (41.4%), and non-Hispanic Asian (16.1%) adults.2

In 2017–March 2020, obesity prevalence was highest among U.S. adults with a high school diploma or some college education (46.4%) followed by those with less than a high school diploma (40.1%) and those with a college degree or above (34.2%).2

In 2017–March 2020, differences by age group were not statistically significant. Obesity prevalence was 39.8% among U.S. adults aged 20–39 years, 44.3% among adults aged 40–59 years, and 41.5% among adults aged 60 years and older..2

Keep Reading: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Brief

Obesity is serious and expensive

Many adults with obesity have other serious chronic diseases. For example, 58% of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Also, approximately 23% of U.S. adults with obesity have diabetes.2

Health care for obesity is expensive for patients and the health care system. In 2019 dollars, annual medical costs for adults with obesity were $1,861 higher per person than adults with healthy weight. For adults with severe obesity, the excess costs were $3,097 per person. This accounts for nearly $173 billion in medical expenditures in 2019 dollars.3

Keep Reading: Consequences of Obesity

Related information

Risk Factors for Obesity
Determinants of health, health behaviors, and other factors that are associated with obesity.

About BMI
What body mass index is, how it is used, and how it is interpreted.

Adult BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI and the corresponding BMI category for adults 20 years and older.

Health Equity Resources
Tools to help remove barriers to health and achieve health equity.

Person-First Language‎

CDC encourages the use of person-first language when discussing obesity and other chronic diseases. For example, say "adults with obesity" rather than "obese adults." Read more about People-First Language for Obesity or Weight Bias and Stigma.
Print
Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
  1. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999-2000. JAMA. 2002;288(14):1723–7. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.14.1723
  2. Stierman B, Afful J, Carroll MD, et al. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–March 2020 prepandemic data files development of files and prevalence estimates for selected health outcomes. Natl Health Stat Report. 2021;158.
  3. Ward ZJ, Bleich S, Long MW, Gortmaker SL. Association of body mass index with health care expenditures in the United States by age and sex. PLoS One. 2021;16(3):e0247307. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247307