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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he is looking at addressing the issues driving the U.S. “obesity epidemic” in his attempt to make America “healthy again,” new data reveals that the number of obese adults in the country has declined year-over-year in 2024.
Why It Matters
Obesity is a problem that affects millions of Americans as it comes along with higher risks of developing other health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40.3 percent of U.S. adults were obese between August 2021 and August 2023, with higher rates reported among those aged 40 to 59. Overall, one in five children and two in five adults are obese in the U.S.
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A study released earlier this year in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) states that 100 million American adults are living with obesity, 75 percent of whom also have obesity-related health complications. Their medical bills, researchers write, exceed $261 billion. The CDC reports that obesity costs the U.S. health care system almost $173 million every year.
Newsweek contacted the Department of Health & Human Services for comment by email on Wednesday.
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What To Know
A new report by the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health—the State of Obesity Report 2025—found that the number of states with adult obesity rates over 35 percent fell for the first time last year, going from 23 to 19.
The organization, which says it is a nonpartisan public health policy, research and advocacy organization, based its findings on an analysis of 2024 data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and data from the 2021-2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
The highest rates of obesity among adults last year were reported in West Virginia (41.4 percent), Mississippi (40.4 percent), and Louisiana (39.2 percent), the study found. The states with the lowest levels of adult obesity were Colorado (25.0 percent), Hawaii (27.0 percent), and Massachusetts (27.0 percent), and Washington, D.C., came in at 25.5 percent.
The findings also reveal other factors that could be playing a role in obesity rates nationwide. Black and Latino adults living in rural communities tended to have higher rates of obesity compared to people living in metro areas, while people with college degrees and higher household incomes tended to have lower obesity rates.
What People Are Saying
J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, said in a statement: “Structural barriers to healthy eating and physical activity need continued policy attention and investment. It is vital that the government and other sectors invest in—not cut—proven programs that support good nutrition and physical activity and ensure they reach all communities.”
Kennedy wrote on X last year: “Ultra-processed food is driving the obesity epidemic. When we get President Trump back in the White House and me to Washington, we're going to fix our broken food system and Make America Healthy Again.”
What Happens Next
Despite the progress made last year, Trust for America’s Health warns that there is little reason to celebrate these improvements.
The group recommended strengthening the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC and urged the federal government to reverse already-implemented funding cuts to nutrition programs while improving the quality of the food available.
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